Flora of North America species comparison

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

internodes smooth.

35-120 cm, not forming corms;

internodes scabridulous immediately above the nodes.

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 0.8-6.5 mm;

blades 1-6 mm wide, abaxial surfaces glabrous or puberulent, adaxial surfaces with hairs.

12-40 cm;

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

pedicels straight;

disarticulation above the glumes.

5-36 cm;

branches 2.5-9 cm, appressed to reflexed, straight or flexuous, with 5-30 spikelets;

pedicels not sharply bent;

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.

3-7 mm, with 1(2) bisexual florets;

rachilla internodes 0.3-0.6 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.

2-5 mm long, 1-2 mm wide, 1-veined;

upper glumes 2.5-6 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, 1-veined;

lemmas 3-7 mm, glabrous, sometimes scabrous, with 7+ veins, veins prominent, apices rounded to acute, unawned;

paleas almost as long as the lemmas;

anthers 1.5-2.5 mm;

rudiments 1-4 mm, not resembling the lower florets, longer and thicker than the terminal rachilla internode, truncate to obtuse.

= 18.

= 18.