Flora of North America species comparison

20-210 cm, stout, not woody;

nodes puberulent;

internodes usually with papillose-based hairs, sometimes nearly glabrous, not succulent.

numerous;

sheaths terete, densely pilose, with papillose-based and caducous hairs;

ligules membranous, ciliate, cilia 1-3 mm;

blades 15-40 cm long, 7-25 mm wide.

6-20 cm long, 4-11 cm wide, included or shortly exserted at maturity, dense;

branches stiff, appressed to spreading, spikelets solitary, confined to the distal portions;

pedicels 1-9 mm, scabrous and sparsely pilose.

4-6 mm, ovoid, usually glabrous.

glumes 2.8-3.6 mm, 1/2 - 3/4 as long as the spikelets, 5-7-veined, veins scabridulous distally, apices attenuate;

upper glumes 4-5.1 mm, slightly exceeding the upper florets, 11-13(15)-veined, veins scabridulous distally;

lower florets sterile;

lower lemmas 4-4.8 mm, slightly exceeding the upper florets, 9-13-veined, veins scabridulous distally;

lower paleas 1.2-1.6 mm, 1/2 or less the length of the upper florets, truncate to bilobed;

upper florets 3-3.8 mm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, smooth or striate, more or less shiny, stramineous to orange, red-brown, or blackish, persisting in the spikelets or disarticulating at maturity.

= 36, 40, 42, 49, 54, 72.