Flora of North America species comparison

30-80 cm, mostly erect, smooth below the panicles;

nodes slightly compressed, 2-5 exserted, top node at 1/2 - 3/4 the culm length.

4-20(30) cm, to 18 cm in bulbiferous plants, slender.

closed for 1/10 – 1/5 their length, terete, bases of basal sheaths glabrous, distal sheath lengths 0.45-1 (1.1) times blade lengths;

ligules 0.2-0.8(1) mm, sparsely to densely scabrous, apices truncate, minutely ciliolate;

blades 0.8-3 mm wide, mostly flat, appressed, abruptly ascending to spreading, straight or somewhat lax, apices narrowly prow-shaped.

closed for 1/10 – 1/6 their length, terete;

ligules 1-4 mm, smooth;

blades 0.5-1.5(2) mm wide, flat or folded, thin, soft, apices narrowly prow-shaped.

all or mostly extravaginal.

all or mainly intravaginal.

7-16(20) cm, lengths usually 2.5-4 times widths at maturity, usually erect, lax in shade forms, narrowly lanceoloid to ovoid, slightly to moderately congested;

nodes with 2-5 branches;

branches ascending to widely spreading, fairly straight, slender to moderately stout, angled, angles moderately to densely scabrous.

2-7 cm, 2-4 cm in bulbiferous plants, widths equal to lengths, erect, broadly rhomboidal to pyramidal, open, exserted from the sheaths, sparse;

branches 1.5-5 cm, ascending to spreading, divaricate, slender, sulcate or angled, angles sparsely to moderately scabrous;

pedicels often longer than the spikelets.

3-8 mm, lengths 2.5-3.5 times widths, narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, laterally compressed, usually not glaucous;

florets (1)2-5;

rachilla internodes usually shorter than 1 mm, smooth, muriculate, or scabrous, usually puberulent, infrequently hispidulous or glabrous.

3-5 mm, laterally compressed, rarely bulbiferous, usually strongly anthocyanic, glaucous or not;

florets 2-4, rarely bulb-forming;

rachilla internodes shorter than 1 mm, smooth to scabrous.

subulate to narrowly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels smooth or sparsely scabrous, apices sharply acute to acuminate;

lower glumes 3-veined, long-tapered to a slender point, lengths 6.4-11 times widths;

upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas;

calluses webbed, hairs sparse, often short;

lemmas 2.4-4 mm, proximal lemma widths less than 1/5 times lengths, narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short-villous, lateral veins glabrous, obscure, intercostal regions smooth or muriculate, glabrous, margins glabrous, apices acute, usually partially bronze-colored;

palea keels scabrous, intercostal regions glabrous;

anthers 0.8-1.9 mm.

distinctly keeled;

lower glumes subequal to equaling the lowest lemmas, 3-veined, upper glumes frequently longer than the lowest lemmas;

calluses glabrous;

lemmas 2-3 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, thin, keels and marginal veins crisply puberulent, rarely glabrous, intercostal regions glabrous, apices acute;

paleas scabrous over the keels;

anthers 0.2-0.7 mm.

= 28, 35, 42, 48, 50, 56.

= 14.