Flora of North America species comparison

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

nodes terete, usually 1 exserted.

2-20(45) cm, terete or weakly compressed;

nodes terete.

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 1/4-1/3 their length, terete or weakly compressed, smooth, glabrous;

collars smooth, glabrous;

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

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

intravaginal, innovations common, similar to the culms.

intravaginal.

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.

1-7(10) cm, erect, loosely contracted or open, ovoid to pyramidal;

nodes with 1-2(5) branches;

branches ascending to reflexed, straight, terete, smooth or sparsely scabrous.

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.

3-6 mm, lanceolate to narrowly ovoid, laterally compressed, not bulbiferous;

florets 2-7, normal, upper 1-2 florets pistillate in some spikelets;

rachilla internodes smooth, glabrous.

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.

distinctly keeled, smooth;

lower glumes distinctly shorter than the lowest lemmas, 1-veined;

upper glumes shorter than to subequal to the lowest lemmas;

calluses terete, glabrous;

lemmas 1.7-4 mm, distinctly keeled, smooth and glabrous or the keels, marginal veins, and, usually, lateral veins hairy, lateral veins moderately prominent to prominent, intercostal regions glabrous, margins smooth, glabrous, apices whitish, obtuse to acute;

palea keels smooth, usually softly puberulent to long-villous, sometimes glabrous;

anthers 3, 0.1-2.5 mm, sometimes vestigial in the upper 1-2 florets.

= 28.