Flora of North America species comparison

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

15-50 cm tall, slender, 0.8-0.9 mm thick;

nodes terete, 0-1 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 76-74 their length, terete, scabrous, glabrous, bases of basal sheaths glabrous, distal sheath lengths 2.3-7.7 times blade lengths;

collars sparsely scabrous, glabrous;

ligules 0.5-1.5(2.5) mm, scabrous, apices usually truncate to obtuse, sometimes acute, ligules of innovations to 0.5 mm;

innovation blades filiform;

cauline blades gradually reduced in length upwards, 0.4-1.5 mm wide, mostly folded, thin, soft, soon withering, scabrous, apices narrowly prow-shaped.

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.

5-15 cm, 1.3-2.2 times the branch lengths, erect, broadly rhomboidal to pyramidal, open, purple, sparse, proximal internodes 1.5-4.2 cm;

nodes with 1-2(5) branches;

branches 3-8.5 cm, widely spreading, capillary, straight, terete to weakly angled, moderately to mostly densely scabrous, with 3-9 spikelets in the distal 73.

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.

5-8 mm, lengths (3.8)4-5 times widths, usually narrowly lanceolate to lanceolate, subterete to weakly laterally compressed, drab, usually strongly anthocyanic;

florets 3-5;

rachilla internodes 1-1.5+ mm, terete or slightly dorsally compressed, muriculate or scabrous.

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.

lanceolate, distinctly shorter than the adjacent lemmas, scabrous distally, keels indistinct, scabrous, obtuse to acute;

lower glumes 3-veined;

calluses glabrous or with a crown of hairs, hairs to 0.3 mm;

lemmas 3-4.2 mm, lanceolate, weakly keeled, keels, veins, and proximal 2/3 of the intercostal regions puberulent, lateral veins obscure, margins strongly inrolled below, broadly scarious above, glabrous, apices obtuse to acute;

palea keels scabrous, sometimes hairy at midlength;

anthers 1.6-2.1 mm.

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

= 42.