Flora of North America species comparison

to 110 cm, usually erect, sometimes almost prostrate;

nodes glabrous.

to 135(150) cm, erect, geniculate, or decumbent;

nodes glabrous or pubescent.

open, pubescent or glabrous;

auricles present or absent;

ligules hyaline, truncate, erose;

blades flat to more or less involute, more or less pubescent on both sides.

usually spikelike racemes, sometimes spikes, all customarily called spikes, with 3 spikelets at each node, central spikelets usually sessile, sometimes pedicellate, pedicels to 2 mm, lateral spikelets usually pedicellate, pedicels curved or straight, sometimes all 3 spikelets sessile in cultivated plants;

disarticulation usually in the rachises, the spikelets falling in triplets, cultivated forms generally not disarticulating.

3-8 cm long, 7-16 mm wide, pale green to distinctly reddish, especially the awns;

rachises disarticulating at maturity.

with 1 floret;

glumes awnlike, usually exceeding the floret.

usually tightly enclosed in the lemma and palea at maturity.

sheaths often completely surrounding the culms, glabrous or somewhat pilose;

ligules 1-4 mm;

auricles to 8 mm, well developed even on the upper leaves;

blades to 28 cm, usually flat, occasionally with involute margins, glabrous or sparsely pilose, sometimes scabrous.

spikelets sessile, florets sessile or pedicellate, pedicels to 2 mm;

glumes 11-25 mm long, 0.8-1.8 mm wide, flattened, margins usually distinctly ciliate;

lemmas 8-14 mm long, to 2 mm wide, more or less smooth, awned, awns 20-40 mm;

lodicules glabrous or with 1+ cilia;

anthers 0.2-3.2 mm, gray to yellow, sometimes with purple spots.

spikelets bisexual;

florets sessile;

rachillas prolonged beyond the floret;

lemmas ovate, glabrous to pubescent, 5-veined, usually awned, rarely unawned;

paleas almost equal to the lemmas, narrowly ovate, keeled;

lodicules 2, broadly lanceolate, margins ciliate;

anthers 3, usually yellowish.

spikelets staminate, floret sessile;

glumes flattened, margins ciliate;

lemmas 8-15 mm, awned, awns 20-50 mm;

paleas 8-15 mm;

rachillas 2.5-6.5 mm, slender or gibbous, yellow.

spikelets usually sterile or staminate, often bisexual in cultivated forms;

florets pedicellate, usually reduced;

lemmas awned or unawned.

= 14, 28, 42.

= 14, 28, 42.