Flora of North America species comparison

7-35(60) cm, erect or decumbent.

(20)30-130(150) cm.

rounded below, margins and apices hairy, hairs to 3 mm;

ligules 0.3-1 mm;

blades 2-12(20) cm long, 2-6 mm wide, flat, abaxial surface glabrous, adaxial surface scabridulous, sometimes sparsely hispid, margins ciliate-pectinate.

with sparsely hairy apices, hairs to 3 mm;

ligules 0.1-0.5 mm;

blades not conspicuously distichous, 5-70 cm long, 1.5-10 mm wide, flat, folded, or involute, abaxial surface glabrous or pilose, adaxial surface glabrous or scabridulous, margins glabrous.

4-15(18) cm long, 0.3-6 cm wide, open (contracted when immature), pyramidal;

lower nodes with 7-12(15) branches;

primary branches 0.5-4.5 cm, spreading 30-90° from the rachis, with elongated glands, without spikelets on the lower 1/3 – 1/2, secondary branches appressed;

pedicels 0.1-0.5 mm, appressed.

terminal and axillary, 5-30 cm long, 0.4-1.6 cm wide, usually spikelike, partially included in the uppermost sheath, with 15-90 spikelets per cm2 (exposed portion, when pressed);

lower nodes with 1-2(3) branches;

primary branches 0.4-6 cm, appressed, spikelet-bearing to the base;

secondary branches appressed;

pulvini glabrous;

pedicels 0.3-3.5 mm, appressed, glabrous or scabridulous.

1.2-1.8 mm, plumbeous or brownish, often secund along the branch.

4-6(10) mm, stramineous to purplish-tinged.

unequal, ovate to obovate, membranous;

lower glumes 0.3-0.7 mm, without midveins;

upper glumes 1.2-1.8 mm, at least 2/3 as long as the florets, often longer;

lemmas 1.2-1.7 mm, ovate to elliptic, membranous, glabrous, acute;

paleas 1.1-1.6 mm, ovate to elliptic, membranous, glabrous;

anthers 0.2-0.4 mm, yellowish or purplish.

subequal, lanceolate, membranous to chartaceous, midveins usually greenish;

lower glumes (1.2)2-4 mm;

upper glumes (2)2.5-5(6) mm, slightly shorter or longer than the lemmas;

lemmas (2.2)3-6(10) mm, lanceolate, membranous to chartaceous and hyaline, glabrous, smooth, occasionally 2- or 3-veined, acute to obtuse;

paleas (2.2)3-6(10) mm, ovate to lanceolate, membranous;

anthers 0.2-3.2 mm, yellow to orangish.

0.6-1 mm, obovoid, faintly striate, light brownish.

1-2 mm, ellipsoid, laterally flattened, often striate, reddish-brown;

pericarps gelatinous, slipping from the seeds when wet.

= 24, 36, 54.

= 54, 88, 108.