Flora of North America species comparison

2-20(45) cm, prostrate to erect, slender;

nodes terete, usually 1 exserted.

(12)17-30(40) cm, erect or the bases decumbent, with (0)1(2) exserted nodes.

closed for about 1/3 their length, terete or weakly compressed, smooth;

ligules 0.5-3(5) mm, smooth, glabrous, decurrent, obtuse to truncate;

blades 1-10 cm long, 1-3(6) mm wide, flat or weakly folded, thin, soft, smooth, margins usually slightly scabrous, apices broadly prow-shaped.

closed for 1/3 – 2/3 their length, terete, bases of basal sheaths glabrous;

collars smooth, glabrous;

ligules of cauline leaves 1-2 mm, smooth, apices truncate to obtuse, ligules of the innovation leaves shorter than 0.5 mm, scabrous, truncate;

innovation blades not or indistinctly differentiated from the cauline blades, flat or weakly involute, adaxial surfaces sparsely to fairly densely finely scabrous between the veins;

cauline blades 1-3 mm wide, folded, fairly thin to moderately thick, soft, abaxial surfaces smooth, apices narrowly prow-shaped.

intravaginal, innovations common, similar to the culms.

intra-vaginal.

1-7(10) cm, lengths 1.2-1.6 times widths, erect;

nodes with 1-2(3) branches;

branches ascending to spreading or reflexed, straight, terete, smooth, with crowded or loosely arranged spikelets.

2-5(6) cm, erect or nodding, ovoid to pyramidal, slightly contracted or open, sparse, with fewer than 20 spikelets;

nodes with 1-2 branches;

branches 2-4 cm, ascending to widely spreading, occasionally reflexed, flexuous, lax, slender, terete, smooth or sparsely scabrous, with 1-3(4) spikelets.

3-5 mm, laterally compressed;

florets 2-6;

rachilla internodes smooth, glabrous, concealed or exposed, distal internodes less than 1/2(3/4) the length of the distal lemma.

4-7 mm, lengths to 3 times widths, broadly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, laterally compressed, not sexually dimorphic, often strongly anthocyanic;

florets 3-4;

rachilla internodes smooth, glabrous or sparsely puberulent.

smooth, distinctly keeled, keels smooth;

lower glumes 1-veined;

upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemma;

calluses glabrous;

lemmas 2.5-4 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, smooth throughout, the keels, marginal veins, and, usually, lateral veins crisply puberulent to long-villous, rarely glabrous throughout, lateral veins prominent, intercostal regions glabrous, margins smooth, glabrous, apices obtuse to acute;

palea keels smooth, usually short- to long-villous, rarely glabrous;

anthers 0.6-1.1 mm, oblong prior to dehiscence, those of the upper 1-2 florets usually vestigial.

thin, somewhat lustrous, distinctly keeled, keels smooth;

lower glumes 3-veined, distinctly shorter than the lowest lemmas;

calluses glabrous;

lemmas 4-6 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, thinly membranous, sparsely to moderately densely and finely scabrous, usually glabrous, rarely sparsely softly puberulent proximally, lateral veins moderately prominent, margins glabrous, apices acute;

palea keels sparsely to moderately densely scabrous;

anthers vestigial (0.1-0.2 mm) or 2.5-3 mm.

= 28.

= unknown.