Flora of North America species comparison

55-100 cm, not forming corms;

internodes smooth, basal internodes not thickened.

55-125 cm, forming corms, corms attached to the rhizomes;

internodes scabridulous basally.

often scabrous on the keels, otherwise smooth;

ligules 1-7 mm;

blades 2-5 mm wide, both surfaces glabrous, scabridulous.

usually scabridulous, sometimes glabrous or pilose;

ligules 0.4-5 mm, to 1.5 mm on the lower leaves, to 5 mm on the upper leaves;

blades 2-10 mm wide, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabridulous, adaxial surfaces scabridulous, glabrous or with hairs.

13-25 cm;

branches 1-9 cm, straight and appressed or flexible and ascending to strongly divergent, with 1-12 spikelets;

pedicels sharply bent below the spikelets;

disarticulation below the glumes.

8-25 cm, lax;

branches 1.7-9 cm, usually appressed to ascending, occasionally divergent, with 1-5 spikelets;

pedicels not sharply bent;

disarticulation above the glumes.

8-16 mm long, 1.5-5 mm wide, parallel-sided when mature, with 2-5 bisexual florets;

rachilla internodes 1.9-2.1 mm.

10-28 mm, with 2-5 bisexual florets;

rachilla internodes 1.8-2 mm.

green, pale, or purplish-tinged;

lower glumes 3.5-6 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, 3-5-veined;

upper glumes 5-8 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, 5-veined;

lemmas 6-10 mm, glabrous, chartaceous on the distal 1/3, 5-11-veined, veins conspicuous, apices rounded to acute, unawned;

paleas about 2/3 the length of the lemmas;

anthers 1-2.5 mm;

rudiments 1.8-5 mm, acute to acuminate, resembling the bisexual florets.

4-8 mm long, 1.3-2.2 mm wide, 1-3-veined;

upper glumes 5.5-11.5 mm long, 2-3 mm wide, 3-5-veined;

lemmas 5.5-18 mm, usually strigose over the veins, hairs longest towards the base, 7-9-veined, veins prominent, apices strongly tapering and acuminate, unawned;

paleas 1/2 - 3/4 the length of the lemmas;

anthers 1.5-2.5 mm;

rudiments 4-9 mm, tapering, resembling the bisexual florets.

4-5 mm.

= 18.

= 18.