Flora of North America species comparison

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

20-126 cm, terete or weakly compressed.

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 (1/20)1/3 to about their full length, terete or weakly keeled, basal sheaths readily deteriorating;

ligules 0.1-3(4) mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, truncate to obtuse, entire or lacerate, smooth or ciliolate;

blades smooth or scabrous, glabrous, apices narrowly prow-shaped.

mainly pseudointravaginal.

usually mainly pseudointravaginal, sometimes mainly 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.

4-36 cm, erect or lax, pyramidal or lanceoloid, usually sparse, lower rachis internodes usually longer than (2)3 cm;

nodes with 1-10 branches;

branches ascending to spreading or eventually reflexed, lax or straight, angled, angles scabrous, with spikelets confined to the distal 1/5 – 1/3(1/2).

3-8.2 mm, laterally compressed;

florets 2-4(6);

rachilla internodes smooth, sparsely softly puberulent.

2.5-8.2 mm, laterally compressed;

florets (1)2-5(6), normal, bisexual;

rachilla internodes smooth, usually glabrous, sometimes puberulent.

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.

distinctly keeled, scabrous;

calluses terete or slightly laterally compressed, usually dorsally webbed, sometimes glabrous;

lemmas 2.1-5 mm, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, glabrous or hairy, apices with narrow, clear or white margins;

palea keels scabrous, glabrous or with hairs over the keels;

anthers 3, 0.4-2(2.6) mm.

= 28.