Flora of North America species comparison

35-95 cm, usually glabrous, sometimes pubescent below the nodes;

nodes 2-3, often dark, glabrous.

50-125 cm, mostly glabrous, pubescent below the nodes;

nodes 2-3, dark, 1 glabrous or slightly pubescent.

glabrous, smooth;

ligules truncate to rounded, of basal leaves 0.4-1.8 mm, of upper leaves 1.5-2 mm;

blades 6-26 cm long, usually involute and 0.3-5 mm in diameter, sometimes flat and 0.5-1(1.5) mm wide, 3-veined, both surfaces glabrous, veins often scabridulous, margins scabrous.

smooth to scabridulous;

ligules of basal leaves 0.5-2.8 mm, truncate to rounded, of upper leaves 1-3.5 mm, rounded to acute;

blades 10-30 cm long, 1-3.5 mm wide, 3-5-veined, abaxial surfaces glabrous, smooth, adaxial surfaces smooth or scabrous over the veins, margins smooth or scabrous.

6.5-25 cm, open, often partially enclosed in the upper leaf sheath, with 20-60 spikelets;

branches flexuous;

pedicels 4-12 mm, flattened, hispid.

6-20 cm, open, with 10-25 spikelets;

branches ascending, flexuous;

pedicels to 1 mm, flattened, hispid.

subequal, 4-6.2 mm long, 1.8-3.1 mm wide, 5-7-veined, often partly purplish;

florets 3-5.5 mm long, 0.6-1.9 mm thick, somewhat laterally compressed, rectangular to slightly obovate in side view;

calluses 0.2-0.7 mm, blunt, strigose;

lemmas tan to light chocolate brown, shiny, smooth, evenly pubescent when immature, hairs easily rubbed off;

crowns about 0.8 mm wide, inconspicuous, glabrous or glabrate;

awns 11-20 mm, persistent, twice-geniculate;

paleas about 3.5 mm;

lodicules 2, about 1 mm;

anthers 0.3-0.5 mm, not penicillate.

subequal, 9-12 mm long, 2.5-3.5 mm wide;

lower glumes 5-7-veined;

upper glumes 7-veined;

florets 6.5-10 mm long, 1.5-2.1 mm thick, terete to somewhat laterally compressed;

calluses 0.6-1.9 mm, blunt to acute, strigose;

lemmas golden brown to dark brown at maturity, shiny or not, smooth to spiny-tuberculate distally or for almost their entire length, pubescent, hairs tawny to golden brown, evenly distributed or somewhat more abundant on the basal 1/2, apices tapering to the crown;

crowns 0.5-0.6 mm, inconspicuous, straight, hairy, hairs 0.5-1 mm;

awns 19-27(35) mm, persistent, twice-geniculate, sometimes inconspicuously so;

paleas 6.3-9.5 mm;

lodicules 2, 1-1.5 mm, acute;

anthers 3.5-5.5 mm, sometimes penicillate.

2.5-3 mm long, about 0.6 mm thick, fusiform.

about 7 mm, fusiform.

= 42.

= 42.