Flora of North America species comparison

14-100 cm, not forming corms;

internodes smooth.

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

internodes smooth.

glabrous or scabrous;

ligules 2.5-7 mm;

blades 1.2-3 mm wide, abaxial surfaces glabrous, scabridulous, adaxial surfaces puberulent.

glabrous, sometimes scabridulous, sometimes purplish;

ligules 2.5-9 mm;

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

5-25 cm;

branches 1-5 cm, appressed to reflexed, straight, with 2-9 spikelets;

pedicels sharply bent below the spikelets;

disarticulation below the glumes.

12-40 cm;

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

pedicels straight;

disarticulation above the glumes.

6-8 mm, with 1 bisexual floret.

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

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

5.5-8 mm long, 1.8-3 mm wide, 5-veined;

upper glumes 5-8 mm long, 0.7-1.5 mm wide, 3-5-veined;

lemmas 4.5-8 mm, 9-15-veined, veins prominent, tuberculate, proximal portion with flat, twisted hairs, distal portion glabrous, chartaceous, apices emarginate to acute, unawned;

paleas about 3/4 the length of the lemmas;

anthers 1.5-3 mm;

rudiments 2-3 mm, obovoid or obconic, clublike, not resembling the bisexual florets.

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.

= 18.

= 18.