Flora of North America species comparison

to 110 cm, usually erect, sometimes almost prostrate;

nodes glabrous.

to 100(150) cm, usually erect;

nodes glabrous.

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

rachises disarticulating at maturity.

5-10 cm long, 0.8-2 cm wide, green to purplish or blackish;

nodes 10-30, with 3 spikelets per node, 0-2 lateral spikelets, in addition to the central spikelets, forming seed at maturity (resulting in 2-, 4-, and 6-rowed barley);

rachises usually not disarticulating 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 pilose;

upper sheaths glabrous;

auricles to 6 mm, well developed even on the upper leaves;

blades to 30 cm long, 5-15 mm wide, flat, scabrous or glabrous.

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 sessile;

glumes 10-30 mm, pubescent, flattened near the base;

lemmas 6-12 mm long, 3+ mm wide, glabrous, sometimes scabrous, particularly distally, unawned or awned, awns 30-180 mm, usually scabrous;

anthers 6-10 mm, 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 sessile if seed-forming, pedicellate if sterile;

pedicels to 3 mm;

lemmas usually 6-15 mm, awned when fertile, obtuse to acute when sterile.

= 14, 28, 42.

= 14 (28).