Flora of North America species comparison

50-100 cm, glabrous, somewhat glaucous;

nodes usually exposed.

(16)25-65(85) cm, glabrous, smooth or scabrous near the inflorescence;

nodes usually not exposed.

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, glabrous, smooth or scabrous, persistent;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.3-0.6 mm;

blades usually conduplicate and 0.5-1.2 mm in diameter, rarely flat and 1-2.5 mm wide, gray-green, deciduous, abaxial surfaces scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or puberulent, veins (5)7-9, ribs 5-7, conspicuous;

abaxial sclerenchyma usually forming continuous or interrupted bands;

adaxial sclerenchyma present;

girders developed at the 3(5) major veins;

pillars developed at most other veins.

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

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

6-16 cm, usually more or less contracted, open at anthesis, with 1-2(3) branches per node;

branches erect or stiffly spreading, spikelets borne towards the ends of the branches.

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

(6.5)7-9.5 mm, with 2-3(4) 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.

about equaling or slightly exceeding the upper florets;

lower glumes 5-8(9.5) mm, about equaling or slightly longer than the adjacent lemmas;

upper glumes 6.2-8.5(9.5) mm;

lemmas 5.5-8(9) mm, chartaceous to somewhat coriaceous, scabrous, rounded below midlength, veins somewhat obscure, apices unawned or awned, awns 0.5-1.3 mm;

paleas somewhat shorter than the lemmas, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers 4-6 mm;

ovary apices sparsely pubescent.

= unknown.

= 28.