Flora of North America species comparison

15-60 cm, wiry, bases usually geniculate, strongly compressed;

nodes strongly compressed, some proximal nodes usually exserted.

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

closed for 1/10 – 1/5 their length, distinctly compressed, bases of basal sheaths glabrous;

ligules 1-3 mm, moderately to densely scabrous, ciliolate, apices obtuse;

blades 1.5-4 mm wide, flat, cauline blades subequal.

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.

intra-vaginal.

2-10 cm, generally 1/6 - 1/3 as wide as long, erect, linear, lanceoloid to ovoid, often interrupted, sparse to congested, with 15-80 spikelets and mostly with 1-3 branches per node;

branches 0.5-3 cm, erect to ascending, or infrequently spreading, angles densely scabrous, at least in part, with 1-15 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.

(2.3)3.5-7 mm, laterally compressed;

florets 3-7;

rachilla internodes usually shorter than 1 mm, smooth to muriculate.

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.

distinctly keeled;

lower glumes 3-veined;

calluses usually webbed, sometimes glabrous;

lemmas 2.3-3.5 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short-villous, intercostal regions glabrous, lateral veins obscure, margins glabrous, apices acute;

paleas scabrous over the keels;

anthers 1.3-1.8 mm.

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.

= 35, 42, 49, 50, 56, 84.

= unknown.