Flora of North America species comparison

50-300 cm, erect, branching;

nodes glabrous.

1-1.5 m, erect, sometimes branching above, pubescent beneath the panicle;

nodes glabrous.

glabrous or pubescent, with or without ciliate margins;

ligules 2-5 mm;

blades 15-100 cm long, 7-70 mm wide, flat, glabrous or pubescent.

burgundy (rarely green);

sheaths glabrous, margins ciliate;

ligules 0.5-0.8 mm;

blades 33-52 cm long, 6-11 mm wide, flat, antrorsely scabridulous, margins ciliate basally, midvein not noticeably thickened.

terminal, 4-200 cm long, 2-70 mm wide, fully exerted from the sheaths, erect;

rachises terete, densely pubescent.

23-32 cm long, 30-58 mm wide, fully exerted from the sheaths, flexible, drooping, burgundy (rarely pale or whitish-green);

rachises terete, pubescent.

3-7 mm;

pedicels 0.6-1.8 mm;

lower glumes absent or to 1.5 mm, veinless;

upper glumes 0.5-3.5 mm, 3-5-veined;

lower florets staminate or sterile;

lower lemmas 1.5-6 mm, glabrous, 3-7-veined, margins ciliate;

lower paleas vestigial or fully developed, margins ciliate;

anthers 2.2-2.5 mm, penicillate;

upper florets coriaceous, shiny;

upper lemmas 4.3-7 mm, 5-7(9)-veined, margins ciliate;

upper paleas 3.4-3.9 mm, pubescent, at least near the base, margins ciliate;

anthers 2-2.2 mm, penicillate.

5.3-6.5 mm;

pedicels 0.1-0.3 mm;

lower glumes 0.5-1 mm, veinless;

upper glumes 1.9-3.6 mm, 0-1-veined;

lower florets staminate;

lower lemmas 4.7-6.1 mm, 5(6)-veined;

lower paleas 4.5-5 mm;

anthers 2-2.5 mm;

upper florets not disarticulating at maturity;

upper lemmas 5.2-6.1 mm, 5-veined;

anthers 2.5-2.7 mm.

2-5.5 mm long, 1.6-3.2 mm wide, protruding from the lemma and palea at maturity.

concealed by the lemma and palea at maturity.

33-160 per cm;

fascicle axes 1-28 mm, persistent, with 1-9 spikelets;

outer bristles 44-131, 0.5-6 mm;

inner bristles 6-19, 4-6 mm, plumose;

primary bristles 5.5-6.3, ciliate, sometimes noticeably longer than the other bristles.

10-17 per cm, disarticulating at maturity;

fascicle axes 1-2 mm, with 1-3 spikelets;

outer bristles 43-68, 1.2-18.5 mm, terete, scabrous;

inner bristles 4-10, 11.7-25 mm, long-ciliate;

primary bristles 21.3-33.6 mm, ciliate, noticeably longer than the other bristles.

= 14.

= 54.