Flora of North America species comparison

10-60(100) cm, decumbent-ascending, bases somewhat compressed-keeled;

internodes glabrous, shiny below the nodes.

16-50 cm, decumbent, rooting at the lower nodes;

nodes retrorsely pilose;

internodes smooth or scabridulous.

glabrous, margins hyaline;

ligules 0.2-1 mm, firm, truncate, ciliate, without lateral lobes;

blades 2-7(11) cm long, 1-2.8(4) mm wide, flat, occasionally conduplicate, smooth or scabridulous abaxially, scabridulous adaxially, margins and midveins not conspicuously thickened, greenish, apices acute, not sharp.

1.5-8.5 cm, sparsely or densely pilose, hairs to 3 mm, papillose-based;

ligules 0.5-0.8 mm, membranous, truncate, erose;

blades 2-6 cm long, 1.5-4 mm wide, flat, bases distinctly narrowed to the junction with the sheath, surfaces scabridulous and sparsely pilose, hairs papillose-based.

6-21 cm long, 4-16 cm wide, broadly ovoid, open;

primary branches 3-12 cm, capillary, lower branches spreading 30-90° from the rachises, never appearing fascicled;

pedicels 3-14 mm, longer than the spikelets.

6-10.5 cm long, 2.0-4.5 cm wide, secund, open;

primary branches 0.8-3.5 cm, secund, spreading at right angles or somewhat reflexed, with 2-5 spikelets;

secondary branches not developed;

pedicels 1-5 mm, scabrous or shortly pilose, hairs papillose-based;

disarticulation at the base of the primary branches.

1.2-2.1 mm, occasionally with 2 or 3 florets.

4-8 mm, dimorphic with respect to the glumes, proximal spikelets on each branch almost sessile.

equal, 0.6-1.7 mm, purplish, scabridulous, particularly on the veins, 1-veined, apices acute;

lemmas 1.2-2.1 mm, lanceolate to oblong-elliptic, somewhat plumbeous, glabrous, usually smooth, occasionally scabridulous near the apices, apices acute, unawned or mucronate, mucros to 0.3 mm;

paleas 1.2-2.1 mm, lanceolate, glabrous, acute;

anthers 1-1.3 mm, greenish-yellow to purplish at maturity.

of proximal spikelets on each branch subequal, 0.2-0.7 mm, orbicular, truncate, often erose, unawned;

glumes of distal spikelets on each branch markedly unequal;

lower glumes to 8 mm, 1-veined, acute, usually awned, awns 0.5-3 mm;

upper glumes orbicular, acute, sometimes awn-tipped;

lemmas 4.0-7.6 mm, linear to broadly lanceolate, light greenish, smooth or scabrous, usually with greenish veins, apices acuminate, awned, awns 6-19 mm, usually straight, scabrous;

paleas 3.7-6.8 mm, narrowly lanceolate, coarsely papillate or almost smooth, acuminate;

anthers 0.4-0.8 mm, yellowish.

0.8-1 mm, fusiform, brownish.

1.8-3 mm, oblong-ovoid, flattened, brownish.

= 20, 22, 28.

= 20.