Flora of North America species comparison

to 110 cm, usually erect, sometimes almost prostrate;

nodes glabrous.

21-75 cm, rarely geniculate, not bulbous;

nodes glabrous.

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

rachises disarticulating at maturity.

5-12 cm long, 6-10 mm wide, erect, often partially enclosed at maturity, pale green.

bent, strongly divergent 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.

sheaths pubescent;

upper sheaths glabrous;

ligules 0.6-1.8 mm;

auricles absent;

blades to 13 cm long, to 4 mm wide, flat, glaucous, both surfaces scabrous, hairy, sometimes only sparsely hairy.

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: glumes 11-28 mm long, 0.2-0.4 mm wide, flattened near the base, setaceous above the middle;

lemmas 5-9 mm, glabrous, awned, awns 10-22 mm;

anthers 1-2.2 mm.

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 sterile;

glumes to 27 mm long, 0.2-0.4 mm wide, flattened near the base;

lemmas 2.5-5 mm, unawned or awned, awns to 3 mm, lemma and awn together to 7 mm, the transition from the lemma to the awn gradual.

= 14, 28, 42.

= 42.