Flora of North America species comparison

30-110 cm, stout, erect;

nodes glabrous.

50-80 cm, erect.

glabrous;

ligules 2-3 mm;

blades to 35 cm long, 2-5.4 mm wide, conduplicate (rarely flat).

glabrous, pubescent apically, margins scarious;

ligules 1-2 mm, membranous, lacerate;

blades 3-4 mm wide, flat, glabrous, pubescent behind the ligules, margins papillose-ciliate.

terminal, with 2-7 racemosely arranged branches;

branches 1.6-7.1 cm, usually divergent, rarely merely ascending;

branch axes 0.6-1.1 mm wide, glabrous, terminating in a spikelet.

terminal, erect, a spicate raceme 7-15 cm long, or a panicle with 1-2 subterminal spicate branches that are wholly or partially enclosed in the upper sheath, often arcuate;

branches terminating in a spikelet.

2.5-3 mm long, 1.5-2.2 mm wide, paired, appressed to the branch axes, elliptic-ovate, light to dark brown.

2.7-3 mm, paired, imbricate, obovate, stramineous.

absent;

upper glumes usually with short, appressed pubescence, rarely glabrous, 5-veined, margins entire;

lower lemmas with short, appressed pubescence or glabrous, 3-veined, margins entire;

upper florets dark glossy brown.

absent, or 1-2.3 mm;

upper glumes and lower lemmas glabrous, 3-veined, margins entire;

lower lemma lacking ribs over the veins;

lower florets often staminate;

lower paleas 2.5-2.9 mm, membranous;

upper florets 2.3-2.9 mm, white, stramineous, or golden brown.

1.4-1.6 mm, brown.

= 20, 40, 60.

= 40.