Flora of North America species comparison

7-210 cm tall, usually 1-3 mm thick, not rooting or branching at the lower nodes.

49-90 cm, not rooting or branching at the lower nodes.

rounded or keeled, glabrous or pubescent, sometimes glaucous;

ligules 0.5-2 mm, collars neither elongate nor narrowed;

blades 7-105 cm long, 1.5-9 mm wide, without a longitudinal stripe of white, spongy tissue.

usually completely glabrous;

sheaths keeled;

ligules 0.5-1 mm;

blades 2.5-10 cm long, (1)2-4 mm wide, flat, without a longitudinal stripe of white, spongy tissue.

0.8-10 cm;

rames 2.5-8 cm, partially to completely exserted, usually somewhat open;

internodes 3-7 mm, usually arcuate at maturity, ciliate on at least the distal 1/2 (sometimes throughout), hairs 1.5-6 mm.

2-4.6 cm; subtending leaf sheaths 2.5-4 cm long, 1.5-3.5 mm wide;

rames 2.5-4.5 cm, somewhat open and usually partially exserted, varying from included to completely exserted;

internodes 3-7 mm, straight, densely villous for their full length, hairs 0.5-2.5 mm, silvery-white.

3-7.5 mm long, 0.1-0.2 mm wide at the base, flaring above midlength to 0.3-0.5 mm, straight or curving outwards.

5-6.5 mm long, 0.1-0.2 mm wide at the base, flaring beyond midlength to about 0.5 mm, densely villous.

spikelets 3-11 mm;

calluses 0.5-1(2) mm, hairs 0.3-4 mm;

lower glumes glabrous;

upper lemmas membranous throughout, cleft to 1/2 their length;

awns 2.5-17 mm.

spikelets 5-6.5 mm;

calluses with 0.5-1 mm hairs;

lemmas slightly indurate at the base (unique among the species treated here in this respect), cleft for 3/4 - 7/8 of their length;

awns 10.5-15 mm.

spikelets 0.7-10 mm, sometimes shorter than the sessile spikelets, sterile or staminate, unawned or awned, awns to 4 mm, when sterile, the lemma usually absent.

spikelets 0.5-2 mm, sterile, unawned or awned, awns 1-2 mm.

= 40.

= 40.