Flora of North America species comparison

10-55 cm, very slender, weak.

7-30 (35) cm tall, 0.4-0.9 mm thick, slender, erect or the bases decumbent, terete or weakly compressed;

nodes terete, 0-1 exserted.

closed for 1/4 - 3/5 their length, terete, smooth or sparsely scabrous, margins not ciliate;

ligules 0.5-2 mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, truncate;

blades 0.8-2 mm wide, flat, thin, soft, apices narrowly prow-shaped.

closed for 1/3-2/3 their length, terete, smooth, glabrous, bases of basal sheaths glabrous, distal sheath lengths (1)1.4-4.5 times blade lengths;

collars smooth, glabrous;

ligules 0.5-1.5(2.2) mm, scabrous, truncate to acute;

innovation blades adaxially moderately to densely scabrous or hispidulous on and between the veins;

cauline blades slightly reduced in length distally, 0.5-1(1.5) mm wide, involute, thin to moderately thick, usually filiform, soft, abaxial surfaces smooth, adaxial surfaces sparsely scabrous on and between the veins, apices narrowly prow-shaped, flag leaf blades (0.5)1-5 cm.

mostly extravaginal.

mainly intravaginal, some extravaginal.

3-8(12) cm, lax, open, sparse;

nodes with 1-2(3) branches;

branches (2)3-7 cm, spreading to reflexed, capillary, angled, angles scabrous.

1-5(7) cm, erect, ovoid, fairly tightly to loosely contracted, congested or moderately congested, with fewer than 50 spikelets;

nodes with 1-2 branches;

branches 0.5-3 cm, erect to ascending, slightly lax, terete or angled, angles sparsely to densely scabrous, with 2-12 spikelets.

3.2-5.2 mm, laterally compressed, broadly lanceolate to ovate;

florets 2-3(5);

rachilla internodes smooth, glabrous.

3-6(8) mm, lengths to 3 times widths, laterally compressed, compact, not sexually dimorphic;

florets 2-5;

rachilla internodes 0.8-1.1 mm, usually not readily visible from the sides, glabrous or sparsely puberulent.

narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, thin, distinctly keeled, keels scabrous;

lower glumes 1-3-veined;

upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the adjacent lemmas;

calluses sparsely webbed;

lemmas 2.5-4 mm, lanceolate, green, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short-villous, extending 2/3 – 4/5 the keel length, lateral veins fairly prominent, intercostal regions glabrous, apices obtuse to broadly acute, white, faintly bronze-colored or not;

palea keels scabrous;

anthers 0.2-0.8 mm.

slightly unequal, distinctly keeled, keels smooth or scabrous;

lower glumes 2-4 mm, 1-3-veined, about 2/3 the length of the adjacent lemmas;

upper glumes 2.9-5 mm;

calluses usually diffusely webbed, hairs 1-2 mm, infrequently glabrous;

lemmas 2.5-4(4.5) mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, moderately to densely finely scabrous, glabrous throughout or the keels and sometimes the marginal veins sparsely puberulent proximally, margins narrowly scarious, glabrous, apices acute;

paleas subequal to the lemmas, keels scabrous, intercostal regions glabrous;

anthers vestigial (0.1-0.2 mm) or 1.5-2 mm.

= unknown.

= 42.