Flora of North America species comparison

40-150 cm, glabrous, often branching at the lower cauline nodes;

basal branching extravaginal.

not basally concentrated;

sheaths glabrous, persistent;

ligules of lower leaves 0.5-1.5 mm, truncate;

ligules of upper leaves 1.5-4 mm, rounded to sharply acute;

blades 5-30 cm long, 2-10 mm wide, flat, smooth on both surfaces.

10-40 cm, lax, lower nodes either with 3-7 branches bearing 10-40 functional spikelets, or with 15-30+ branches with no functional spikelets;

primary branches spreading to ascending;

lower branches 3-8 cm;

secondary branches diverging from the primary branches.

2.5-3.5 mm, acuminate, 3-veined;

florets 1.5-2 mm, dorsally compressed;

calluses about 0.3 mm, glabrous, disarticulation scars circular;

lemmas stiffly membranous, glabrous, margins fused at the base, not overlapping, light brown at maturity;

awns 3-4 mm;

anthers 2-2.5 mm, penicillate;

ovaries rounded, bearing two styles.

1.5-1.7 mm long, about 0.8 mm thick;

hila linear, about 1/2 as long as the caryopses.

= 24.