Flora of North America species comparison

60-200 cm, not forming corms, often branched from the lower nodes;

internodes smooth.

50-130 cm, not forming corms;

lower nodes strigose;

internodes usually smooth, sometimes puberulent below the nodes, lower 2-3 internodes usually swollen.

glabrous, sometimes scabridulous, sometimes purplish;

ligules 2.5-9 mm;

blades 2-5 mm wide, abaxial sufaces scabridulous, adaxial surfaces puberulent.

glabrous or pilose;

ligules 1.5-4 mm;

blades 1.5-5 mm wide, strigose on both surfaces.

12-40 cm;

branches 3.5-9 cm, appressed, with 5-15 spikelets;

pedicels straight;

disarticulation above the glumes.

4-30 cm;

branches 3-6 cm, appressed, straight, with 4-15 spikelets;

pedicels straight;

disarticulation above the glumes.

9-18 mm, with 3-5 bisexual florets;

rachilla internodes 1-1.3 mm, not swollen when fresh, not wrinkled when dry.

5-15 mm, with 2-5 bisexual florets;

rachilla internodes 1.1-1.6 mm.

7-12 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, 5-7-veined;

upper glumes 8-15 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, 5-7-veined;

lemmas 8-11 mm, glabrous, chartaceous for the distal 1/3 or more, 7-9-veined, sometimes purplish basally, veins inconspicuous, apices rounded to acute, unawned;

paleas about 3/4 the length of the lemmas;

anthers 3, 1-2 mm;

rudiments 2-6 mm, blunt, enclosed in empty lemmas resembling those of the bisexual florets.

3.5-12 mm long, 2.5-3 mm wide, 3-5-veined;

upper glumes 5-13 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, 5-7-veined;

lemmas 5-9 mm, glabrous, smooth to scabrous, 7-9-veined, veins inconspicuous, apices rounded to broadly acute, unawned;

paleas about 3/4 the length of the lemmas;

anthers 3, 1.8-3 mm;

rudiments 1.4-3 mm, clublike, not resembling the bisexual florets, truncate to acute.

= 18.

= 18.