Flora of North America species comparison

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

23-86 cm tall, 0.8-1.8 mm thick, bases often decumbent.

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.

closed for 1/3 – 1/2 their length;

ligules 0.2-1.9(2.5) mm, smooth or obtuse;

blades (0.5)1-4 mm wide, flat or folded, thin.

mostly extravaginal, some intravaginal.

mainly pseudointravaginal.

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.

(5)8-20 cm, erect or lax, broadly pyramidal at maturity, open, sparse, lower axils sometimes sparsely pubescent;

nodes with 1-2(4) branches;

branches 5-12 cm, spreading to reflexed, straight, angled, angles scabrous, with 3-8 spikelets in the distal 1/4-1/3.

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.

3-8.2 mm, laterally compressed;

florets 2-4(6);

rachilla internodes smooth, sparsely softly puberulent.

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.

distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas, distinctly keeled, keels scabrous;

lower glumes subulate to lanceolate, (1)3-veined;

upper glumes lanceolate to broadly lanceolate;

calluses usually glabrous, rarely sparsely and shortly webbed;

lemmas (2.8)3-4.6 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, keels and marginal veins short- to long-villous, hairs extending up 3/4 of the keel, lateral veins prominent, intercostal regions softly puberulent, smooth, apices obtuse, blunt;

palea keels softly puberulent to short-villous for much of their length, apices scabrous;

anthers 1-1.4(2.6) mm.

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

= 28.