Flora of North America species comparison

50-100 cm, glabrous, somewhat glaucous;

nodes usually exposed.

15-65 cm, glabrous, smooth.

closed for less than 1/3 their length, glabrous or sparsely pubescent, shredding into fibers;

ligules 0.5-1 mm;

blades 2-10 mm wide, flat, loosely conduplicate, or involute, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabrous, glabrous or puberulent, adaxial surfaces smooth or scabrous, veins 13-35, ribs obscure;

sclerenchyma in abaxial and adaxial strands;

girders formed at most major veins.

closed for less than 1/2 their length, lower sheaths glabrous or retrorsely hirsute, persistent, upper sheaths glabrous;

collars glabrous;

ligules (0.2)0.3-0.5(1) mm;

blades all alike, 0.4-0.8 mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces sparsely scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous to pubescent, veins 5-7, ribs (1)3-5;

abaxial sclerenchyma in (3)5-7 narrow to broad strands, usually wider than the adjacent veins;

adaxial sclerenchyma absent.

(8)10-30(40) cm, open, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches lax, spreading, spikelets borne towards the ends of branches.

5-15 cm, loosely contracted, with 1-2(3) branches per node;

branches erect, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

6-11 mm, sometimes glaucous, with (2)3-5 florets.

(6)7-9(11) mm, with (2)4-6 florets.

lanceolate, smooth or scabrous, acuminate;

lower glumes 4-7 mm;

upper glumes 5-7.5 mm;

lemmas 5-8 mm, chartaceous, lanceolate, glabrous, usually smooth, sometimes scabrous towards the apices, apices acute to acuminate, unawned, sometimes mucronate;

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

anthers 2-3 mm;

ovary apices densely pubescent.

exceeded by the upper florets, lanceolate, scabrous distally;

lower glumes 2.5-4 mm;

upper glumes (2.8)3-5 mm;

lemmas (3.8)4-6 mm, glabrous, smooth or scabrous distally, awns 1-2.5 mm;

paleas slightly shorter than the lemmas, intercostal region scabrous or puberulent distally;

anthers 2.2-3.5 mm;

ovary apices sparsely pubescent.

= unknown.

= 28.