Flora of North America species comparison

50-100 cm, glabrous, somewhat glaucous;

nodes usually exposed.

35-80(100) cm, smooth, glabrous throughout;

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 1/2 their length, usually glabrous, sometimes pubescent, strongly reined, persistent or slowly shredding into fibers;

collars glabrous;

ligules (0.2)0.3-0.8(1) mm;

blades 0.5-1.3 mm in diameter when conduplicate, to 2.5 mm wide when flat, persistent, abaxial surfaces glabrous and smooth, adaxial surfaces scabrous or pubescent, veins 5-9(12), ribs 5-9, blades of the lower cauline leaves usually reduced to stiff horny points, blades of the upper cauline leaves longer and more flexuous;

abaxial sclerenchyma in strands about as wide as the adjacent veins;

adaxial sclerenchyma developed;

pillars and girders often present.

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

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

(4)8-15 cm, open or somewhat contracted, with 1-2 branches per node;

branches lax, spreading or loosely erect, lower branches with 2+ spikelets.

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

9-15 mm, with (2)3-6(7) 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, smooth or scabridulous distally;

lower glumes (2.4)2.8-5 mm, distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas;

upper glumes 4.5-7(8.5) mm;

lemmas (4.8)6-8.5 mm, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, glabrous, smooth or slightly scabrous, apices acute, unawned or awned, awns 0.2-1.5(2) mm;

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

anthers (2)2.5-4(5) mm;

ovary apices densely pubescent.

= unknown.

= 28.