Flora of North America species comparison

10-60 cm.

(20)30-120 cm, usually stout, erect or decumbent, not branching above the base, terete or weakly compressed;

nodes terete, 1-2 exserted.

closed for 1/3 – 2/3 their length, terete, smooth;

ligules 1.5-3.5 mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous;

blades 1.5-4 mm wide, flat, thin, soft, apices broadly prow-shaped.

closed for 1/4 - 3/5 their length, terete to compressed, usually distinctly keeled, glabrous, sparsely to moderately scabrous, bases of basal sheaths glabrous, distal sheath lengths (0.8)1-2(2.5) times blade lengths;

collars smooth, glabrous;

ligules 2-5(6) mm, usually smooth, ligules of proximal leaves sometimes scabrous, obtuse, those of the distal leaves acute;

blades 4-12(18) cm long, (2)3-7 mm wide, flat or loosely folded, glabrous, both surfaces smooth or the adaxial surfaces sparsely scabrous, apices broadly prow-shaped, cauline blades subequal, flag leaf blades 3-10 cm.

mixed intra- and extravaginal.

all or mainly extravaginal.

4-15 cm, nodding, open, with numerous spikelets and 1-2 branches per node;

branches (2)3-7 cm, spreading to reflexed, lower branches usually reflexed, flexuous, usually terete, smooth or sparsely scabrous, with (3)6-18 spikelets.

(4)7-15(20) cm, lax, loosely contracted or open, moderately congested, with (15)20-100 spikelets and 2-4(5) branches per node;

branches 3-8 cm, ascending or eventually spreading, flexuous, terete or weakly angled, usually sparsely scabridulous or scabrous, infrequently moderately densely scabrous, with (3)5-15(30) spikelets moderately crowded in the distal 1/2.

4-6 mm, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, usually partly to wholly purplish, with 3-5 florets;

rachilla internodes shorter than 1 mm, smooth.

(5)6-9(12) mm, lengths to 3 times widths, laterally compressed, sometimes bulbiferous;

florets 2-5, infrequently bulb-forming;

rachilla internodes smooth or sparsely hispidulous.

narrowly to broadly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels smooth or nearly so;

lower glumes 1-veined;

upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas;

calluses webbed;

lemmas 2-3.5 mm, lanceolate, partly purple to fairly strongly purple, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short- to long-villous, keels hairy for 2h-ls their length, lateral veins usually sparsely softly puberulent at least on 1 side, lateral veins obscure to moderately prominent, intercostal regions smooth, minutely bumpy, glabrous, apices acute, slightly bronze-colored or not;

palea keels scabrous, usually softly puberulent at midlength;

anthers 0.6-1 mm.

subequal in length and width, usually nearly equaling the adjacent lemmas, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels sparsely to moderately scabrous distally, lateral veins prominent;

lower glumes (4)4.5-7 mm, 3-veined: upper glumes (4)4.5-7(8) mm, 3(5)-veined;

calluses dorsally webbed, hairs 1/3 – 2/3 times the lemma length, copious;

lemmas (4)5-8 mm, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, green or purple, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins long-villous, lateral veins prominent, usually softly puberulent to short-villous, intercostal regions sometimes hispidulous, infrequently softly puberulent or short-villous proximally and hispidulous in the central 1/3, sometimes merely muriculate proximally and scabrous distally, sometimes densely scabrous throughout, rarely glabrous and nearly smooth proximally and sparsely scabrous distally, margins broadly hyaline, glabrous, apices acute;

palea keels scabrous, sometimes softly puberulent at midlength, intercostal regions broad, distinctly hispidulous or softly puberulent;

anthers 1.5-2.5 mm.

= 28.

= 42, 43, 44, 45, ca. 46, 49, 56, ca. 58, 63, ca. 64, ca. 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, ca. 71, ca. 72, ca. 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 80, ca. 82, ca. 84, ca. 87, ca. 100.