Flora of North America species comparison

45-100 cm, forming corms, corms connected to the rhizomes by a rootlike, 10-30 mm structure, which usually remains attached to the corm;

internodes smooth.

35-120 cm, not forming corms;

internodes smooth.

usually glabrous, often pilose at the throat and collar;

ligules 0.1-2 mm;

blades 2-5 mm wide, abaxial surfaces scabridulous over the veins, adaxial surfaces usually glabrous.

glabrous or pilose, often most pilose at the throat and collar;

ligules 0.5-1.5 mm;

blades 1.5-4.5 mm wide, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces scabridulous, glabrous or puberulent.

5-26 cm;

branches 2-5 cm, usually appressed, sometimes divergent and flexuous, with 2-3 spikelets;

pedicels not sharply bent;

disarticulation above the glumes.

6-25 cm;

branches 3-8 cm, appressed, with 2-6 spikelets;

pedicels straight;

disarticulation above the glumes.

7-19 mm, with 3-7 bisexual florets, base of the distal florets concealed at anthesis;

rachilla internodes 1-2 mm, not swollen when fresh, not wrinkled when dry.

7-20 mm, with 2-6 bisexual florets;

rachilla internodes 2-2.4 mm.

usually less than 1/2 the length of the spikelets;

lower glumes 3.5-6.4 mm long, 1.5-3 mm wide, 1-3-veined;

upper glumes 5-7 mm long, 2.3-3.5 mm wide, 5-7-veined;

lemmas 6-9 mm, glabrous, scabridulous, 5-11-veined, veins inconspicuous, apices rounded to acute, unawned;

paleas about 73 the length of the lemmas;

anthers 1.5-3 mm;

rudiments 1.5-3.5 mm, acute, distinct from the bisexual florets, sometimes surrounded by a small sterile floret similar in shape to the bisexual florets.

obtuse to subacute;

lower glumes 4-10 mm long, 1.5-2.5 mm wide, 3-5-veined;

upper glumes 5-11 mm long, 1.8-2.5 mm wide, 5-7-veined;

lemmas 6-16 mm, hairy, hairs to 0.75 mm on the back, 0.7-1.3 mm on the margins, 9-11-veined, veins inconspicuous, apices mucronate to rounded, usually awned, awns 0.5-3 mm, fragile;

paleas about 3/4 as long as to nearly equaling the length of the lemmas;

anthers 3, 2.2-4 mm;

rudiments 2.5-6 mm, tapering, resembling the bisexual florets.

about 5 mm.

= 18.

=18.