Flora of North America species comparison

50-100 cm, glabrous, somewhat glaucous;

nodes usually exposed.

(10)20-41 cm, smooth, glabrous throughout or pubescent near the inflorescence, bases often geniculate.

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 3/4 their length, often splitting with age, coarsely ribbed, shredding into fibers, bases reddish brown, scarious;

collars glabrous;

ligules 0.1-0.4(0.6) mm;

blades 0.3-0.8(1) mm in diameter, conduplicate, green or glaucous, abaxial surfaces glabrous, smooth or scabrous, adaxial surfaces scabrous or puberulent;

abaxial sclerenchyma in 5-7(9) small strands;

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)5-12 cm, usually paniculate, sometimes racemose or sub-racemose, compact or open, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches stiff or somewhat lax, lower branches with 1-3 spikelets.

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

pseudoviviparous, varying in length with the stage of vegetative proliferation, the glumes and often 1 or 2 adjacent florets more or less normally developed or only slightly elongated, glabrous or pubescent, the distal florets vegetative.

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.

more or less normally developed, ovate to lanceolate;

lower glumes (2.5)3-3.5(5.5);

upper glumes 3.5-4.5(6.5);

lowest lemma in each spikelet usually normally developed, acute, unawned, usually without reproductive structures or the structures abortive;

subsequent lemmas modified into leafy bracts;

paleas usually absent, shorter than the lemmas if present, intercostal region puberulent distally;

anthers usually aborted, when present 1.5-2.3(3) mm;

ovaries rarely present, apices glabrous.

= unknown.

= 49, 50, 63.