Flora of North America species comparison

to 110 cm, usually erect, sometimes almost prostrate;

nodes glabrous.

20-80 cm, geniculate to straight, not bulbous based;

nodes glabrous.

glabrous or pubescent;

ligules to 0.8 mm;

auricles absent;

blades to 15 cm long, to 5 mm wide, scabrous, sometimes hairy.

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

rachises disarticulating at maturity.

3-15 cm, usually nodding, whitish green to light purplish.

15-85 mm long, conspicuous, bent, divergent to 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.

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 (15)35-85 mm, setaceous throughout, strongly spreading at maturity;

lemmas 4-8.5 mm, glabrous, awned, awns 11-90 mm, straight to ascending;

paleas 5.5-8 mm;

anthers 0.6-1.2 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 staminate or sterile;

glumes 17-83 mm, setaceous;

lemmas 4-6.5 mm, awned;

awns 2-15 mm, divergent;

anthers 1-1.5 mm.

= 14, 28, 42.

= 28.