Flora of North America species comparison

50-100 cm, glabrous, somewhat glaucous;

nodes usually exposed.

(15)20-40(45) 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 about 1/2 their length, glabrous, shredding into fibers, sometimes slowly;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.5(1) mm;

blades to 3 mm wide when flat, 0.5-1 (1.5) mm in diameter when conduplicate, veins (3)5, ribs (1)3(5), abaxial surfaces smooth or slightly scabrous, adaxial surfaces sparsely scabrous;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 3-5 narrow strands less than twice as wide as high;

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.

3-5(8) cm, contracted, with 1-3 branches per node;

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

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

(4.5)5-6.5(7) mm, with 2-5 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 to ovate-lanceolate, mostly smooth, sometimes scabrous distally;

lower glumes 1.5-3 mm;

upper glumes 2.5-3.8 mm;

lemmas 3-4.5 mm, glabrous or puberulent near the apices, awns (0.3)1-1.5 mm, terminal;

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

anthers 0.6-0.9(1.4) mm;

ovary apices densely and conspicuously pubescent.

= unknown.

= unknown.