Flora of North America species comparison

50-100 cm, glabrous, somewhat glaucous;

nodes usually exposed.

18-40(60) cm, mostly scabrous or puberulent below the inflorescence.

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 1/3 their length, smooth or scabrous, glabrous or finely puberulent, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.4 mm;

blades 0.2-0.4(0.6) mm in diameter, conduplicate, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces scabrous, veins 5(7), ribs 1, distinct;

abaxial sclerenchyma forming a continuous or almost continuous band;

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.

1-6(14) cm, usually contracted, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches usually erect, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

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

3-6(6.5) mm, with 2-6(8) 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, ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, glabrous;

lower glumes 1-2.5 mm;

upper glumes (1.7)2-3(3.9) mm;

lemmas 2.3-4(4.4) mm, obtuse to acute, mostly smooth and glabrous, sometimes scabrous or pubescent distally, unawned, sometimes mucronate, mucros to 0.4 mm;

paleas about as long as the lemmas, intercostal region smooth or scabrous distally;

anthers (1)1.5-2.2 mm;

ovary apices glabrous.

= unknown.

= 14 (28).