Flora of North America species comparison

to 5 m long, long-decumbent and rooting at the lower nodes, vertical portion 90-200(300) cm;

nodes villous.

7-50 cm, geniculate, decumbent to prostrate at the base, often much-branched below, usually rooting at the nodes;

nodes pubescent;

Sheaths usually pubescent, sometimes densely so, rarely glabrous, margins ciliate;

ligules 0.3-1.1 mm, blades 1-7 cm long, 2-9.3 mm wide; usually densely puberulous on both sides, margins basally ciliate or scabrous.

10-25 cm long, 5-10 cm wide, pyramidal, with 10-30 spikelike branches in more than 2 ranks;

primary branches 2.5-8 cm long, 0.4-0.9 mm wide, ascending to divergent, axils pubescent, axes flat, glabrous or with a few papillose-based hairs, secondary branches present or absent;

pedicels shorter than the spikelets, scabrous, sometimes with hairs.

(1.5)4.5-8 cm long, with 4-12 spikelike primary branches in 2 ranks;

primary branches 0.7-3.3 cm, axes 0.2-0.3 mm wide, triquetrous, pubescent;

secondary branches rarely present, pedicels shorter than the spikelets.

2.6-3.5 mm long, 1-1.4 mm wide, mostly in pairs, in 2-4 rows, appressed to the branches, purplish to green.

2-2.8 mm, solitary (or paired), in 1 row, appressed to the branch axes.

scarcely separate, rachilla internodes short not pronounced;

lower glumes 0.6-1.1 mm, 1/5 – 1/3 as long as the spikelets, glabrous, 0-1(3)-veined;

upper glumes 2.6-3.5 mm, glabrous, 5-(7)-veined, without cross venation;

lower florets staminate;

lower lemmas 2.6-3.3 mm, glabrous, 5-veined, without cross venation;

upper lemmas 2.3-2.8 mm long, 1-1.3 mm wide, apices rounded, mucronate;

anthers 1-1.5 mm.

separated by about 0.3 mm;

lower glumes 0.7-1.5 mm, 1/3 – 1/2 as long as the spikelets, 3-veined;

upper glumes glabrous or pubescent; 5-veined, lower florets sterile;

lower lemmas similar to the upper glumes;

lower paleas present;

upper lemmas 1.8-2.1 mm, granulose to rugulose, acute, mucronate;

anthers 0.9-1.3 mm.

1.8-2 mm.

sheaths with papillose-based hairs, these more dense distally, margins ciliate;

collars pubescent;

ligules 1-1.5 mm;

blades 7.5-35 cm long, 4-20 mm wide, glabrous or sparsely pilose on both surfaces, margins scabrous.

= 18, 36.

= 36.