Flora of North America species comparison

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

internodes smooth.

10-60 cm, forming corms;

internodes smooth or scabridulous.

glabrous, sometimes scabridulous, sometimes purplish;

ligules 2.5-9 mm;

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

scabridulous to scabrous;

ligules 0.5-2.6 mm;

blades 1.2-5 mm wide, sometimes pilose on both surfaces.

12-40 cm;

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

pedicels straight;

disarticulation above the glumes.

4.5-18 cm;

branches 0.8-4 cm, appressed to ascending, with 1-5 spikelets;

pedicels straight.

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

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

4-17 mm, with 2-5 bisexual florets;

rachilla internodes 2.1-2.3 mm, swollen when fresh, wrinkled when dry;

disarticulation above the glumes.

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 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, 1-3-veined;

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

lemmas 4-7 mm, glabrous or scabrous, 4-11-veined, veins inconspicuous, apices rounded to acute, unawned;

paleas almost as long as the lemmas;

anthers 3, 1-2 mm;

rudiments 1.5-3.5 mm, tapering, resembling the bisexual florets.

= 18.

=18.