Flora of North America species comparison

30-120 cm;

nodes glabrous.

glabrous;

ligules shorter than 1 mm, of hairs;

blades to 25 cm long, 2-8 mm wide, flat, scabrous above.

seldom wider than 20 mm, flat or loosely twisted.

3-8 (10) cm, of uniform width throughout their length, densely spikelike;

rachises scabro-hispid;

bristles 4-12, 2-12 mm, antrorsely barbed, yellow to purple.

usually contracted, spikelike;

branches short, with 1 or more bristles subtending each spikelet.

2-2.8 mm, elliptical and turgid.

obtuse or acutish.

glumes about 1/3 as long as the spikelets, 3-veined;

upper glumes 1/2 - 2/3 as long as the spikelets, 5-veined;

lower florets often staminate;

lower lemmas occasionally indurate and faintly transversely rugose;

lower paleas equaling the lower lemmas;

upper lemmas distinctly transversely rugose, often purple-tipped.

lemmas transversely rugose, rarely smooth.

= 36, 72.