Flora of North America species comparison

10-45(70) cm, geniculate, often rooting at the lower nodes, glabrous or puberulent below the nodes;

internodes often smooth, shiny, glabrous.

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

nodes retrorsely pilose;

internodes smooth or scabridulous.

shorter than the internodes, glabrous for most of their length, margins shortly (0.3-1.2 mm) pubescent distally, not becoming spirally coiled when old;

ligules 0.2-0.5 mm, truncate, erose, ciliate;

blades (1)3-10 cm long, 1-4.5 mm wide, flat, smooth or scabridulous.

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.

3-15 cm long, 1-1.6 cm wide, contracted, often interrupted below;

branches 0.4-5.5 cm, appressed or diverging up to 30° from the rachises, spikelet-bearing to the base;

pedicels 0.1-4 mm, scabrous to hirsute;

disarticulation above the glumes.

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.

1.8-2.8 mm, borne singly.

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

unequal, shorter than the florets, thin and membranous throughout, unawned;

lower glumes lacking or rudimentary, veinless, rounded and often erose;

upper glumes 0.1-0.3 mm, veinless;

lemmas 1.8-2.8 mm, oblong-elliptic, mostly scabrous, calluses hairy, hairs to 0.8 mm, veins greenish, lower 1/4 of the midveins with a few appressed hairs, apices acute to acuminate, awned, awns 1.5-5 mm, straight;

paleas 1.8-2.8 mm, oblong-elliptic, acute to acuminate;

anthers 0.2-0.5 mm, yellow.

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.

1-1.4 mm, fusiform, brownish.

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

= 40, 42.

= 20.