Flora of North America species comparison

(45) 60-100(120) cm, glabrous, smooth or scabrous below the inflorescence.

(5)10-35 (45) cm, pubescent near the inflorescence.

closed for less than 1/3 their length, smooth or scabrous, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 2-5(9) mm, entire or lacerate, not ciliate;

blades 1.5-3 mm wide, 0.8-1.8 mm in diameter when conduplicate, deciduous, abaxial surfaces scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent, veins 9-15, ribs 7-13;

abaxial sclerenchyma a more or less continuous band;

adaxial sclerenchyma present;

girders usually formed at the major veins, sometimes only pillars present.

closed for about 1/2 their length, glabrous or puberulent, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.2-0.5 mm;

blades 0.5-0.8 mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces glabrous, smooth or scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or hirsute, veins (3)5-7, ribs 3-5, 1 distinct and 2-4 indistinct;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3-7 broad, sometimes confluent strands, covering 1/2 or more of the surface.

(7)10-15(17) cm, open, with 1-2(3) branches per node;

branches 4.5-9 cm, lax, erect or spreading, spikelets borne towards the ends of the branches.

(1.5)2-10 cm, contracted, with 1(2) branches per node;

branches erect, stiff, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

(8)10-14 mm, with (3)4-5(6) florets.

pseudoviviparous, varying in length with the stage of vegetative proliferation, the glumes and often 1 or 2 adjacent florets more or less normally developed or only slightly elongated, the distal florets replaced by leafy bracts.

unequal to subequal, ovate-lanceolate, scabrous or smooth, acute;

lower glumes (2)3.5-5.5 mm;

upper glumes (2.5)4.5-6.5(7) mm;

lemmas 6-10 mm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, scabrous or smooth, unawned, sometimes mucronate, mucros to 0.2 mm;

paleas shorter than to as long as the lemmas, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers 3-4.5 mm;

ovary apices densely pubescent.

ovate-lanceolate, densely puberulent to pubescent throughout;

lower glumes 2-4.5 mm;

upper glumes (2.7)3.8-5.2 mm;

normal lemmas 3.5-5 mm, densely hairy to pubescent, sometimes awned, awns to 0.2 mm;

vegetative bracts unawned, leaflike, sometimes with ligules;

paleas usually reduced or absent, well-formed paleas about as long as the lemmas;

anthers usually poorly developed and the pollen sterile, well-formed anthers to about 2.5 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

= 28, 42.

= 28.