Flora of North America species comparison

(0.5)1-3(6) m tall, (0.5)1-5 cm thick.

1-3(4) m tall, 1-4 cm thick, unbranched in dense stands, abundantly branched in open areas.

mostly 30-90 cm long, 2.5-12 cm wide.

20-80 cm long, 3-8 cm wide, glabrous.

concealed in fruitcases (wild taxa) or exposed (domesticated taxon);

fruitcases of wild taxa distichous, triangular in side view; domesticated taxon without fruitcases, glumes reduced and shallow or collapsed and embedded in the rachis.

concealed.

inflorescences rames or spikes, usually shortly pedunculate (sometimes sessile), solitary, 4-30(40) cm long, (0.5)1-10 cm thick, with 2 or more rows of paired spikelets, hence the spikelets 4 or more ranked, rarely terminating in an unbranched staminate inflorescence.

inflorescences 1-many per node, usually in dense, sheathed, axillary clusters;

peduncles usually (0)1-8 cm, slender and not exceeding the leaf sheaths, occasionally 1(2) peduncles as long as 23 cm and exceeding the leaf sheaths; pistillate rames distichous, 6-9 cm, subtended by a sheath, with 5-9 solitary spikelets;

fruitcases trapezoidal in side view, 7-11.5 mm on the long side, 3.7-6.5 mm on the short side, 3-5 mm in diameter.

panicles 10-25+ cm, with 1-60(235) branches, internodes 1.5-8.2 mm;

spikelets 9-14 mm long, 2.5-5 mm wide;

lower glumes rounded dorsally, flexible, translucent, papery, loosely enclosing the upper glumes, the 2 lateral veins subequal to the others, not winged.

staminate panicles 12-24 cm, with (4)10-28 stiffly ascending branches;

branches 7-16(21) cm, internodes 3-6 mm;

pedicels 3-5 mm;

spikelets 4.6-12 mm, densely imbricate;

lower glumes flat dorsally, stiff, not translucent, margins tightly enclosing the upper glumes, (9) 12-20(28)-veined, the 2 sublateral veins prominent, keeled, ciliate, narrowly winged distally.

= 20.

= 20.