Flora of North America species comparison

10-65 cm, erect to decumbent.

40-100 (120) cm tall, 2-4(5) mm thick near the base.

overlapping, margins ciliate, apices with tufts of hairs, hairs to 2 mm;

ligules 0.1-0.4 mm;

blades usually conspicuously distichous, 4-16 cm long, 2-5 mm wide, flat to loosely involute, glabrous abaxially, scabridulous adaxially, margins scabridulous.

rounded below, margins hairy, particularly distally, hairs to 3 mm, apices with conspicuous tufts of hair;

ligules 0.4-1 mm;

blades (2)4-35 cm long, 3-8 mm wide, flat to involute, glabrous on both surfaces, margins whitish, somewhat scabridulous.

3-10 cm long, 0.4-1.6 cm wide, contracted, spikelike, dense;

primary branches 0.5-2 cm, appressed, spikelet-bearing to the base;

pedicels 0.2-1.4 mm, appressed.

all terminal, (10)15-45(50) cm long, 0.2-0.8(1) cm wide, contracted, spikelike, dense, usually included in the uppermost sheath;

lower nodes with 1-2(3) branches;

primary branches 0.3-1.5 cm, appressed, spikelet-bearing to the base;

secondary branches appressed;

pulvini glabrous;

pedicels 0.2-2 mm, appressed, scabridulous.

(1.8)2-3.2 mm, yellowish-white to purplish-tinged, sometimes grayish.

1.7-3.2 mm, whitish to plumbeous.

subequal, ovate-oblong, membranous;

lower glumes 1.5-2.4 mm;

upper glumes 1.8-3(3.2) mm;

lemmas 2.1-3 mm, ovate to lanceolate, membranous, glabrous, acute;

paleas 2.1-3 mm, ovate, membranous;

anthers 3, 1-1.7 mm, yellowish.

unequal, narrowly lanceolate, membranous, prominently keeled;

lower glumes 0.7-1.7 mm, usually 1-veined, acute to acuminate;

upper glumes 2-3.2 mm, at least 2/3 as long as the florets;

lemmas 2-3.2 mm, linear-lanceolate, membranous, glabrous, acute;

paleas 1.8-3 mm, linear-lanceolate, membranous, glabrous;

anthers 3, 0.3-0.5 mm, light yellowish.

not known.

0.8-1.2 mm, ellipsoid, laterally flattened, light brownish or translucent.

= 20, 30.

= 36.