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.

55-130 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 scabridulous;

ligules 1-6.5 mm;

blades 3.5-11 mm wide, flat, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabridulous, adaxial surfaces scabridulous.

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.

9-26 cm;

branches 3.5-6 cm, often divergent to reflexed, straight, with 5-20 spikelets;

pedicels sharply bent and hairy below the spikelets;

disarticulation below 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.

8-12 mm, with 2-3(4) bisexual florets, apices of the lowest 2 florets not at the same level;

rachilla internodes 2.3-2.4 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.

unequal;

lower glumes 5-9 mm long, 3.5-4.5 mm wide, more ovate than the upper glumes, 3-9-veined;

upper glumes 6-11 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide, 3-7-veined;

lemmas 6.5-11.5 mm, glabrous or scabrous, somewhat indurate, with 9+ veins, veins prominent, apices rounded, unawned;

paleas about 3/4 the length of the lemmas;

anthers 1.7-3.2 mm;

rudiments 2-3 mm, clublike, not resembling the bisexual florets, in a straight line with the rachilla.

= 18.

= 18.