Flora of North America species comparison

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

20-80 cm, erect or the bases 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.

usually closed for about 1/6 their length;

ligules 1-4 mm, smooth or sparsely scabrous, apices obtuse to acute;

innovation blades 0.5-2 mm wide;

cauline blades 0.5-5 mm wide, flat, folded, abaxial surfaces smooth or scabrous, apices narrowly prow-shaped.

mostly extravaginal, some 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, erect, usually contracted, sometimes interrupted;

branches shorter than 4 cm, erect, angles somewhat 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, weakly laterally compressed;

florets 2-5;

rachilla internodes smooth.

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.

3-veined;

calluses glabrous or webbed, hairs to 1/4 the lemma length;

lemmas 2.5-4.5 mm, narrowly lanceolate, distinctly to weakly keeled, glabrous throughout or the keels and marginal veins sparsely long-villous, apices acute;

palea keels scabrous;

anthers aborted late in development or 1.3-2.2 mm.

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

= 64.