Flora of North America species comparison

20-95 cm tall, 0.8-1.5 mm thick.

20-55 cm, erect or the bases decumbent, terete or weakly compressed;

nodes terete, 0-1 exserted.

closed for 1/3-2/3 their length;

ligules 0.2-3(4) mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, truncate to obtuse;

blades 1-3.6 (6) mm wide, flat, thin, lax, veins prominent.

closed for 1/3-2/3 their length, terete, sparsely to moderately scabrous, glabrous or retrorsely hispidulous, bases of basal sheaths glabrous, distal sheath lengths 2.7-6.5(9.7) times blade lengths;

collars of at least some leaves usually sparsely hispidulous;

ligules 1-2 mm, scabrous, truncate to obtuse;

innovation blades to 40 cm, adaxial surfaces moderately to densely scabrous or hispidulous on and between the veins;

cauline blades steeply reduced in length distally, 1-3 mm wide, involute, moderately thick, soft, abaxial surfaces smooth, margins scabrous, apices narrowly prow-shaped, flag leaf blades 1-4.5 cm long.

mainly pseudointravaginal.

extra- and intravaginal.

4-20(24) cm long, less than 1/4 the plant height, lax;

nodes with 1-3 branches;

branches ascending to spreading, lax, angled, angles prominent, scabrous.

4-8 cm, erect to nodding, lanceoloid to ovoid, loosely contracted, sparse, with 18-60 spikelets;

nodes with 1-2 branches;

branches 3-8 cm, ascending, lax, terete or weakly angled, moderately and sometimes coarsely scabrous, with 3-8 spikelets.

3-5.6 mm, laterally compressed;

florets 2-5;

rachilla internodes glabrous, usually shorter than 1 mm.

6-9(11) mm, lengths to 3 times widths, laterally compressed, not sexually dimorphic;

florets 2-5(7);

rachilla internodes 1-2 mm, glabrous, scabrous, or sparsely to densely puberulent.

2/3 – 3/4 as long as the adjacent lemmas, distinctly keeled;

lower glumes 1(3)-veined;

upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas;

calluses webbed;

lemmas 2.4-4 mm, lanceolate to broadly lanceolate, distinctly keeled, usually glabrous, bases of marginal veins rarely sparsely softly puberulent, lateral veins prominent, intercostal regions smooth, minutely bumpy, apices obtuse to sharply acute or acuminate;

palea keels scabrous;

anthers 0.4-1.5 mm.

subequal, distinctly keeled;

lower glumes 3-veined;

calluses diffusely webbed, hairs about 1/2 the lemma length;

lemmas 4-6(7) mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, glabrous, smooth or sparsely to moderately finely scabrous, keels scabrous, lateral veins moderately prominent, margins glabrous, apices acute;

palea keels scabrous, sometimes softly puberulent at midlength;

anthers vestigial (0.1-0.2 mm) or 2-3 mm.

= 28.