Flora of North America species comparison

(10)50-140 cm, stout, stiffly erect, branched from the middle and lower nodes;

lower nodes sericeous;

lower internodes sericeous, hairs papillose-based, upper internodes sometimes glabrous.

2-8 cm, erect-spreading;

nodes 1-2, hispid;

internodes pilose, hairs papillose-based.

rounded, glabrous or sparsely to densely hispid, hairs not fragile and prickly, not causing skin irritation, margins ciliate;

ligules 1-3 mm;

blades 3-60 cm long, 2-12 mm wide, flat or involute, ascending, adaxial surfaces densely hirsute basally, less densely so elsewhere, bases attenuate, apices acute.

rounded, much longer than the internodes, with prominent veins, hispid, hairs papillose-based;

ligules 0.2-0.4 mm, membranous, ciliate;

blades 1-4 cm long, 1-3 mm wide, flat or involute apically, glabrous basally, margins ciliate, cilia papillose-based.

(4)15-40 cm long, (3)10-25 cm wide, about 1/3 – 1/2 as long as the plants, open, breaking at the base of the peduncles at maturity and dispersed as tumbleweeds, secondary branching mostly confined to the distal 1/3 of the primary branches;

rachises densely hispid or glabrous;

lower primary branches in whorls of 4-7, stiffly spreading, naked on the lower 1/2;

pedicels 3-20 mm, appressed.

congested, partially included in the sheaths, less than 1.5 times longer than wide;

branches ascending, narrow;

primary branches appressed to the main axes, secondary branches and pedicels attached to the distal 2/3;

pedicels appressed, 1-2 mm.

2-3 mm long, 0.8-1.2 mm wide, glabrous.

2-2.2 mm long, 1-1.3 mm wide, plump-ellipsoid, glabrous.

1-1.6 mm, 5-veined, acuminate;

upper glumes and lower lemmas similar, 2-2.8 mm, 7-9-veined, exceeding the upper florets by about 0.3 mm;

lower florets sterile;

lower paleas 1.4-2.2 mm;

upper florets 1.5-1.9 mm long, 0.7-1 mm wide, smooth, chestnut brown at maturity.

1.2-1.3 mm, acute to attenuate;

upper glumes and lower lemmas 2-2.2 mm, 7-9-veined, apices purplish, acute;

lower florets sterile;

lower paleas 0.2-0.4 mm;

upper florets 1.4-1.8 mm long, about 1 mm wide, broadly ovoid.

= 36.