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.

7-25 cm.

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 1/7-1/4(1/3) their length, terete;

ligules of cauline leaves 1-3 mm, milky white, usually densely scabrous, sometimes smooth, ligules of the upper innovation leaves 0.5-2.5 mm;

innovation blades adaxially scabrous, hispidulous, or puberulent on and between the veins, lacking papillae on the long cells (at 100x);

cauline blades folded to involute, moderately thick, soft or moderately firm, apices narrowly prow-shaped, flag leaf blades 1-2 mm wide, adaxial surfaces with 5-9 well-spaced ribs.

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.

3-6 cm, erect, narrowly lanceoloid, contracted, moderately congested;

nodes with 1-2 branches;

branches to 1.5 cm, erect, slender, terete, sulcate or angled, smooth or the angles moderately scabrous;

pedicels shorter 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.

4.2-7 mm, laterally compressed, often strongly anthocyanic;

florets 2-4;

rachilla internodes 1-1.5 mm, smooth, sometimes sparsely hispidulous.

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.

lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels smooth;

lower glumes shorter than to equaling the lowest lemmas, 3-veined;

upper glumes frequently exceeding the lowest lemmas, 3-5-veined, exceeded by the upper lemmas;

calluses glabrous;

lemmas 4.1-5.8 mm, narrowly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, thin, glabrous, apices acute;

palea keels scabrous;

anthers 0.8-1.2(1.7) mm, infrequently aborted late in development.

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

= unknown.