Flora of North America species comparison

30-100(120) cm tall, 1-3.5 mm thick, erect to decumbent.

rounded below, glabrous or scabridulous, margins sometimes ciliate distally, apices with conspicuous tufts of hairs, hairs to 4 mm;

ligules 0.5-1 mm;

blades (2)5-26 cm long, 2-6 mm wide, flat to involute, glabrous abaxially, scabridulous to scabrous adaxially, margins scabridulous;

flag blades nearly perpendicular to the culms.

15-40 cm long, 2-12(14) cm wide, longer than wide, initially contracted and spikelike, ultimately open and narrowly pyramidal;

rachises straight, erect;

lower nodes with 1-2(3) branches;

primary branches 0.6-6 cm, appressed, spreading, or reflexed to 130° from the rachis, without spikelets on the lower 1/8 – 1/4;

lower branches longest, included in the uppermost sheath;

secondary branches appressed;

pulvini glabrous;

pedicels 0.1-1.3 mm, appressed, glabrous or scabridulous.

1.5-2.5(2.7) mm, brownish, plumbeous, or purplish-tinged.

unequal, linear-lanceolate to ovate, membranous;

lower glumes 0.6-1.1 mm;

upper glumes 1.5-2.7 mm, at least 2/3 as long as the florets;

lemmas 1.4-2.5(2.7) mm, ovate to lanceolate, membranous, glabrous, acute;

paleas 1.2-2.4 mm, lanceolate, membranous;

anthers 0.5-1 mm, yellowish to purplish.

0.7-1.1 mm, ellipsoid, light brownish to reddish-orange.

= 36, 38, 72.