Flora of North America species comparison

11-110 cm, erect to decumbent;

nodes shortly hirsute or glabrous.

2-8 cm, erect-spreading;

nodes 1-2, hispid;

internodes pilose, hairs papillose-based.

shorter than the internodes, greenish to purplish, glabrous or with papillose-based hairs, ciliate on 1 margin, glabrous on the other;

collars hirsute;

ligules 1.5-3.5 mm, of hairs;

blades 3-30 cm long, 3-30 mm wide, flat, usually hirsute or sparsely pubescent, hairs papillose-based, sometimes glabrous, bases rounded to cordate-clasping, margins ciliate, cilia papillose-based, 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.

9-30 cm long, 5-8 cm wide, erect or nodding, partially included to well-exserted, rachises glabrous or sparsely hispid basally;

primary branches usually alternate to opposite, divergent, secondary branches and pedicels confined to the distal 2/3;

pulvini inconspicuous;

secondary branches appressed;

pedicels 9-27 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.

1.9-4 mm long, 0.8-1 mm wide, ovoid to almost spherical, often reddish-brown, glabrous, veins prominent, scabridulous, apices abruptly acuminate.

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

1.3-2.4 mm, 1/2 - 3/4 as long as the spikelets, 3-5-veined;

upper glumes 1.8-3.3 mm, 7-11-veined;

lower florets sterile;

lower lemmas similar to the upper glumes, 9-veined;

lower paleas 0.4-0.9 mm;

upper florets 1.5-2.4 mm long, 0.4-0.8 mm wide, ellipsoid, smooth or conspicuously papillate, shiny, stramineous, often with a lunate scar at the base.

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.