Flora of North America species comparison

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

30-60 cm.

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 3/4 their length, glabrous or scabrous-pubescent, shredding into fibers, bases red-scarious;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.5-1 mm long;

vegetative shoot blades to about 2 mm wide when flat, 0.5-1 mm in diameter when loosely conduplicate, deep green, abaxial surfaces more or less uniformly scabrous, adaxial surfaces hispid or pilose on the ribs;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-9 small strands;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent;

cauline blades 1.4-2.5 mm wide, flat.

(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.

(4)7-12(15) cm, open, lax, secund or partially secund, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches somewhat stiff or lax, lower branches with 2-5 spikelets.

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

pseudoviviparous, varying in length with the stage of vegetative proliferation, most florets replaced by bracts, the glumes and sometimes the lowest floret more or less normally developed or only slightly elongated, mostly deep green or reddish tinged.

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.

more or less normally developed, lanceolate, apices scabrous;

lower glumes (2.5)3.5-6 mm;

upper glumes 4.5-6.5(8) mm;

lemmas and bracts glabrous or pubescent, smooth or scabrous, sometimes mucronate, mucros to 0.5 mm;

paleas, if present, about as long as or shorter than the lemmas, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers not developed or abortive, to 2 mm;

ovaries not developed.

= 28, 42.

= ca. 70.