Flora of North America species comparison

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

(2)5-60(70) cm tall, 0.3-1 mm thick, usually erect, bases rarely geniculate;

nodes terete, usually 1 exserted.

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 1/4 - 1/2 their length, usually compressed and keeled, smooth or the keels scabrous;

ligules 2-6 mm, smooth or scabrous, usually decurrent, obtuse to acute;

blades 1.5-5 mm wide, flat, thin, soft, finely scabrous, apices broadly prow-shaped, cauline blades (1)4-15 cm, flag leaf blades usually 1-4 cm.

mostly extravaginal, some intravaginal.

intravaginal.

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.

(1)5-15 cm, erect, cylindrical, contracted, sometimes interrupted, congested, with 2-3(5) branches per node;

branches erect or steeply ascending, smooth or sparsely to densely scabrous.

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.

4-7 mm, laterally compressed;

florets 3-7;

rachilla internodes to 1 mm, smooth, glabrous.

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.

subequal, distinctly keeled, keels and sometimes the lateral veins scabrous;

lower glumes 1(3)-veined;

upper glumes shorter than or subequal to the lowest lemmas;

calluses webbed;

lemmas 2.6-4.2 mm, lanceolate, distinctly keeled, smooth, keels, marginal veins, and sometimes the lateral veins short- to long-villous, keels hairy to near the apices, marginal veins to 2/3 their length, lateral veins obscure to moderately prominent, intercostal regions glabrous or softly puberulent, upper margins white, apices acute;

palea keels softly puberulent to short-villous at midlength, scabrous near the apices, intercostal regions usually softly puberulent;

anthers 1-3, 0.2-1 mm.

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

= 28, 28+1.