Flora of North America species comparison

23-86 cm tall, 0.8-1.8 mm thick, bases often decumbent.

20-60(70) cm, erect or geniculate at the base;

nodes terete, usually 1-3 exserted.

closed for 1/3 – 1/2 their length;

ligules 0.2-1.9(2.5) mm, smooth or obtuse;

blades (0.5)1-4 mm wide, flat or folded, thin.

closed for 1/2-1/4 their length, usually compressed and keeled, usually smooth, infrequently scabrous;

ligules 2.5-7 mm, smooth or scabrous, usually decurrent, obtuse to acute;

blades 1.5-5 mm wide, usually flat, rarely folded, lax, soft, smooth or sparsely scabrous, margins scabrous, apices broadly prow-shaped, cauline blades 3-15 cm, flag leaf blades 1-4 cm.

mainly pseudointravaginal.

both intra- and extravaginal.

(5)8-20 cm, erect or lax, broadly pyramidal at maturity, open, sparse, lower axils sometimes sparsely pubescent;

nodes with 1-2(4) branches;

branches 5-12 cm, spreading to reflexed, straight, angled, angles scabrous, with 3-8 spikelets in the distal 1/4-1/3.

(5)10-15(25) cm long, 1/4-1/2 the plant height, usually erect, infrequently slightly nodding, usually eventually open, sometimes interrupted, sparse, with 1-3(5) branches per node;

branches initially erect and straight, usually some eventually spreading or reflexed, smooth or sparsely to moderately scabrous.

3-8.2 mm, laterally compressed;

florets 2-4(6);

rachilla internodes smooth, sparsely softly puberulent.

(3)4-7 mm, laterally compressed;

florets 2-3(4);

rachilla internodes usually 1-1.2+ mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, glabrous.

distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas, distinctly keeled, keels scabrous;

lower glumes subulate to lanceolate, (1)3-veined;

upper glumes lanceolate to broadly lanceolate;

calluses usually glabrous, rarely sparsely and shortly webbed;

lemmas (2.8)3-4.6 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short- to long-villous, hairs extending up 3/4 of the keel, lateral veins prominent, intercostal regions softly puberulent, smooth, apices obtuse, blunt;

palea keels softly puberulent to short-villous for much of their length, apices scabrous;

anthers 1-1.4(2.6) mm.

unequal, distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas, distinctly keeled, keels smooth or sparsely scabrous;

lower glumes 1-3-veined, 1/2 - 2/3 the length of the upper glume, 1/2 - 2/3 the length of the lowest lemmas;

upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas;

calluses of some or all florets sparsely webbed;

lemmas 2.5-4 mm, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, smooth or scabrous throughout, glabrous, lateral veins obscure to moderately prominent, apices narrowly acute, usually anthocyanic near the tip;

palea keels sparsely scabrous;

anthers 3, 0.5-1(1.8) mm.

= 28.

= 28.