Flora of North America species comparison

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

nodes terete, usually 1 exserted.

15-50 cm tall, slender, 0.8-0.9 mm thick;

nodes terete, 0-1 exserted.

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 76-74 their length, terete, scabrous, glabrous, bases of basal sheaths glabrous, distal sheath lengths 2.3-7.7 times blade lengths;

collars sparsely scabrous, glabrous;

ligules 0.5-1.5(2.5) mm, scabrous, apices usually truncate to obtuse, sometimes acute, ligules of innovations to 0.5 mm;

innovation blades filiform;

cauline blades gradually reduced in length upwards, 0.4-1.5 mm wide, mostly folded, thin, soft, soon withering, scabrous, apices narrowly 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.

5-15 cm, 1.3-2.2 times the branch lengths, erect, broadly rhomboidal to pyramidal, open, purple, sparse, proximal internodes 1.5-4.2 cm;

nodes with 1-2(5) branches;

branches 3-8.5 cm, widely spreading, capillary, straight, terete to weakly angled, moderately to mostly densely scabrous, with 3-9 spikelets in the distal 73.

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.

5-8 mm, lengths (3.8)4-5 times widths, usually narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, subterete to weakly laterally compressed, drab, usually strongly anthocyanic;

florets 3-5;

rachilla internodes 1-1.5+ mm, terete or slightly dorsally compressed, muriculate or scabrous.

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.

lanceolate, distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas, scabrous distally, keels indistinct, scabrous, obtuse to acute;

lower glumes 3-veined;

calluses glabrous or with a crown of hairs, hairs to 0.3 mm;

lemmas 3-4.2 mm, lanceolate, weakly keeled, keels, veins, and proximal 2/3 of the intercostal regions puberulent, lateral veins obscure, margins strongly inrolled below, broadly scarious above, glabrous, apices obtuse to acute;

palea keels scabrous, sometimes hairy at midlength;

anthers 1.6-2.1 mm.

= 28.

= 42.