Flora of North America species comparison

10-55 cm, very slender, weak.

20-60(100) cm, bases decumbent or sometimes erect, terete, with 1-2 exserted nodes.

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 1/10 – 1/5(1/4) their length, terete, bases of basal sheaths glabrous;

ligules 2-5 mm, milky white, smooth or sparsely scabrous, acute to acuminate;

innovation blades similar in texture and shape to the cauline blades;

cauline blades not greatly reduced upwards, 1.5-4(5) mm wide, flat or folded, thin, lax, smooth or sparsely scabrous, apices narrowly prow-shaped.

mostly extravaginal.

mostly extravaginal, some intravaginal.

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.

5-18(25) cm, lax, loosely contracted to open, sparse, with 20-65 spikelets and usually 2(7) branches per node;

branches 3-15 cm, ascending to spreading, angled, angles finely to coarsely, sparsely to fairly densely scabrous, infrequently smooth, with 3-10(15) spikelets in the distal 1/2.

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

florets 2-3(5);

rachilla internodes smooth, glabrous.

6-10 mm, lengths 3-3.6 times widths, lanceolate to narrowly ovate, laterally compressed, sometimes bulbiferous, drab, often slightly glaucous;

florets 3-4(7), normal or bulb-forming;

rachilla internodes 1.2-2 mm, slightly dorsally compressed, smooth or sparsely muriculate.

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.

subequal, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, dull, frequently glaucous, obtuse to acute;

lower glumes 3-veined;

upper glumes (3.7)4.1-6.5 mm;

calluses usually crowned with 0.2-2 mm hairs, sometimes glabrous;

lemmas 4-6 mm, lanceolate, distinctly compressed, distinctly keeled, keels, marginal veins, and sometimes the lateral veins short- to long-villous, hairs extending for 3/4 of the keel, intercostal regions glabrous, sparsely puberulent or hispidulous proximally, usually sparsely to moderately densely scabrous distally, hairs distinctly shorter than those of the keel and veins, margins weakly inrolled, broadly scarious, glabrous, apices acute;

palea keels scabrous, often softly puberulent at midlength, intercostal regions glabrous or puberulent;

anthers 1.2-2 mm, sometimes aborted late in development or undeveloped.

= unknown.

= 42, [81, 84, 86?].