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Key to Dichanthelium, Key D: Spikelets 2.1-3.2 mm long, larger culm blades < 13 mm wide, at least the lower culm nodes bearded with a usually spreading-ascending collar of dense and/or longish hairs
1Ligule with a dense ring of short hairs 0.5-1 mm long, and behind it a ring of longer hairs 1-5 (-8) mm long called the pseudoligule (see introduction for discussion of the so-called double ligule).
2Culm bases hard, thickened, corm-like; plants producing basal branches instead of rosettes, the branches ultimately producing the largest leaves, 4-13 cm long and 4-11 mm wide; vernal spikelets 2.3-2.7 mm long, 1.2-1.5 mm wide, autumnal spikelets 2.6-2.9 mm long, 1.0-1.1 mm wide; spikelets basally attenuate, the glumes attached 0.2-0.4 mm below expanding base of upper glume and lower lemma; [currently known only from sand ridges in peninsular FL]
3 Culms > 100 cm long; nodepubescence densely retrorse; larger blades 12-20 cm long; spikelets acute; vernal spikelets 1.9-2.3 mm long, slightly < 2× as long as wide; autumnal spikelets 2.2-2.5 mm long, > 2× as long as wide
5 Lower internodes with retrorse or spreading hairs to 3+ mm long; bladeadaxial surface pilose with hairs to 4+ mm long, these appressed and angled away from the leaf axis; spikelets 2.1-2.5 mm long
1Ligule a single structure, without a pseudoligule.
7Culm bases hard, thickened, corm-like; plants producing basal branches instead of rosettes, the branches ultimately producing the largest leaves, 4-13 cm long and 4-11 mm wide; vernal spikelets 2.3-2.7 mm long, 1.2-1.5 mm wide, autumnal spikelets 2.6-2.9 mm long, 1.0-1.1 mm wide; spikelets basally attenuate, the glumes attached 0.2-0.4 mm below expanding base of upper glume and lower lemma; [currently known only from dry sand ridges in peninsular FL]
12 Culms without a viscid band below the retrorsely, spreading, or antrorsely bearded nodes; internodes and sheaths not velvety-pubescent, blades velvety-pubescent in some.
13Basal as well as cauline blades linear, 5-15 cm long,; 1-4 mm wide, 30× or more as long as wide; spikelets 2.8-3.8 (-4.5) mm long
14 Blades < 15× as long as wide, similar or more often decreasing in size upwards on culm (if increasing, then sheaths strongly retrorsely pilose in D. laxiflorum); bladeadaxial surface smooth to moderately scabrous; second glume and sterilelemma shorter than to exceeding fertile lemma.
15 Nodes retrorsely bearded; larger vernal leaves 7-15 mm wide.
16 Sheaths retrorsely pilose with hairs 2-3 mm long; basal leaves usually numerous, ascending, similar in size and shape to the culm leaves; culms branching only at the base in autumnal phase
17 Plants often > 1 m in length; lowest internodes moderately to densely villous; vernalcauline leaves 6-15; spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm long, obovoid to broadly ellipsoid, rounded to blunt, pubescent
19 Lower nodes bearded with erect-ascending, soft, and long hairs; mid-culm blades usually 20× or more as long as wide.
20 Spikelets (3.0-) 3.2-3.8 mm long, fusiform, pointed at summit, attenuate at base, with both glumes attached 0.3-0.5 mm below sterilelemma, the autumnal spikelets 3.5-3.8 mm long; larger vernal blades 3-6 mm wide, the lower and mid-culm blades of similar width; autumnal blades involute
20 Spikelets 1.8-3.1 mm long, obovate, blunt, and the base not attenuate except in D. arenicoloides with autumnal spikelets 2.3-3.1 mm long; larger vernal blades 2-8 mm wide, the lower usually wider and often shorter than mid-culm blades; autumnal blades involute or flat.
21 Longest vernal blades to 16 cm, widest vernal blades 4-8 mm, usually longitudinally wrinkled; vernal and autumnal spikelets 2.3-3.1 mm long; autumnal blades flat, the larger to 9 cm × 2-4 mm
21 Longest vernal blades to 6 (D. aciculare) or 12 (D. arenicoloides) cm long, 2-5 mm wide, not noticeably wrinkled; vernal spikelets 1.5-2.8 mm long, autumnal spikelets either 1.5-2.3 (D. aciculare) or 2.3-3.1 (D. arenicoloides); autumnal blades involute, the larger to 6 cm × 1.5 mm.
22 Longest vernal blades to 6 (-8) cm, widest vernal blades 2-5 mm; vernal and autumnal spikelets 1.7-2.3 mm long, blunt, not attenuate, the glumes attached <0.2 mm below sterilelemma; first glumes 0.6-0.9 mm long; larger autumnal blades to 3 cm by 1 mm
22 Longest vernal blades to 12 cm, widest vernal blades 3-4 (-5) mm; vernal spikelets 2.1-2.8 mm long; autumnal spikelets 2.3-3.1 mm long, pointed, attenuate, the glumes attached 0.3-0.5 mm below sterilelemma; first glumes 0.7-1.5 mm long; larger autumnal blades to 6 cm by 1.5 mm
26 Culms 50-140 cm long; lowest internodes usually purplish; leaf sheaths often viscid-spotted; leaf blades glabrous abaxially, glabrous and scabrous adaxially; spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm long
26 Culms 15-60 cm long; lowest internodes usually olive- or bluish-green; leaf sheaths not viscid-spotted; leaf blades appressed-pubescent abaxially, glabrous and smooth to appressedpubescent adaxially; spikelets 2.1-3.1 mm long.
27 Spikelets 2.1-2.6 mm long; lower culm blades usually sparsely appressed-pubescent on both surfaces, eciliate or ciliate at the base only
Key to Dichanthelium, Key E: Spikelets 2.1-3.2 mm long, larger culm blades < 13 mm wide, culm nodes not bearded, the lowermost sometimes puberulent or sparsely pilose
3Culm blades 5-25 mm wide; spikelets elliptic to elliptic-obovoid when viewed dorsally or laterally, greenish to faintly purple-tinged basally; fertile lemma not papillose.
4Liguleciliate, 0.2-0.8 mm long; culm blades 5-14 mm wide; spikelets 1.8-2.6 mm long; first glumes 0.5-1 mm long
4Ligule an eciliate membrane 0-0.3 mm long; culm blades 5-25 cm wide; spikelets 2.0-3.7 mm long; first glumes 0.5-2.6 mm long.
5 Internodes crisp-puberulent; larger culm blades 4-8 (-11) cm long, 5-10 (-12) mm wide, broadest near the base; spikelets 2.1-2.7 mm long; first glumes 0.7-0.9 mm long
5 Internodes glabrous to sparsely pubescent, larger culm blades 5-18 cm long, 5-25 mm wide, broadest near the middle or broadly linear; spikelets 2.0-3.7 mm long; first glumes 0.5-2.6 mm long.
6Cauline blades 5-18 cm long, 6-14 mm wide, averaging about 10 × as long as wide, the margins nearly parallel; spikelets 2.9-3.7 mm long; first glumes 11-26 mm long, 2/5 or more as long as the spikelets
6Cauline blades 7-12 cm long, (6-) 12-25 mm wide, ovate-lanceolate, averaging about 6 × as long as wide, the margins curved most of their length; spikelets 2.0-3.2 mm long; first glumes 5-10 mm long, about 1/4 as long as spikelets.
7 Culms erect; blades more nearly symmetrical; spikelets 2.0-3.2 mm long; sterilelemmaapex usually blunt to rounded
12 Leaves basally disposed, usually matted or cushion-forming, larger than the mid and upper culm leaves; blade margins uniformly papillose-ciliate; culms branching only at the base, 0.5-3.5 dm tall; internodes glabrous or sparsely pubescent
12Basal leaves usually rosette-forming, not matted or cushion-forming, usually much smaller than culm leaves; blade margins glabrous, or ciliate only below the middle (or sometimes papillose-ciliate throughout in D. portoricense ssp. patulum, which has densely puberulent internodes); culms branching at the nodes in age, 1.5-7.5 dm tall.
13 Blades progressively longer upwards on culm, the larger 9-20 cm long and 3-8 mm wide, (15-) 20 × or more as long as wide, firm but not stiff, not longitudinally grooved or wrinkled; bladeadaxial surface (weakly-) strongly scabrous; sheaths glabrous; second glume and sterilelemma exceeding fertile lemma
13 Blades similar or more often decreasing in size upwards on culm, the larger 3-16 cm long and 2-25 mm wide; if 15 × or more as long as wide, then blades stiff and longitudinally grooved or wrinkled (sect. Angustifolia); bladeadaxial surface smooth to moderately scabrous; sheaths glabrous or pilose; second glume and sterilelemma shorter than to exceeding fertile lemma.
14 Blades of mid-culm leaves typically long and stiff, acuminate, linear or narrowly lanceolate, usually > 10× as long as wide, only 2-6 mm wide when < 8 cm long.
15 Vegetative parts glabrous (spikelets pubescent, lowest internodes and sheaths sometimes sparsely pubescent, blades and sheaths sometimes ciliate); mature panicles less than ¼ as wide as long, the branches erect-ascending, the spikelets often subsecund; autumnal blades 4-10 cm long, involute, < 2 mm wide; spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm long.
16 Larger vernal blades 5-8 cm long and 3-5 mm wide; vernal panicles usually less than ¼ as wide as long, spikelets often subsecund along the strongly ascending to erect branches; spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm long, second glume and sterilelemmapubescent, summits blunt, about equaling fertile lemma; [of coastal wetlands and Piedmont prairies from NC and AR south to the Caribbean and Central America]
16 Larger vernal blades 5-9 cm long and 2-3 mm wide; vernal panicles usually ¼ to ½ as wide as long, the branches ascending; spikelets 2.3-3.0 mm long, second glume and sterilelemma sparsely pubescent to glabrous, summits pointed to blunt, exceeding fertile lemma; [of c. and s. FL]
15 Vegetative parts pubescent, at least in the lower portion of plant; mature panicles usually more than half as wide as long, the branches spreading-ascending, the spikelets not noticeably subsecund; autumnal blades 1-6 cm long, involute and < 2 mm wide in D. aciculare and D. arenicoloides, or to 9 cm long, flat and 2-4 mm wide in D. angustifolium (autumnalblade dimensions not yet known for D. wilcoxianum); spikelets 1.5-3.2 mm long.
17 Culms 15-35 cm long; all culm leaf blades long-hirsute on both surfaces, their sheaths densely papillose-hirsute; leaf blades of the primary branches often exceeding the immature vernal panicles
17 Culms 15-75 cm long; culm leaf blades glabrous to sparsely pubescent, or the lower softly villous abaxially in D. arenicoloides; lower sheaths usually villous, mid-culm and upper sheaths glabrous (though often ciliate basally); leaf blades of primary branches not exceeding immature vernal panicles.
18 Spikelets (3.0-) 3.2-3.8 mm long, fusiform, pointed at summit, attenuate at base, with both glumes attached 0.3-0.5 mm below sterilelemma, the autumnal spikelets 3.5-3.8 mm long; larger vernal leaf blades 3-6 mm wide, the lower and mid-culm leaf blades of similar width; autumnal leaf blades involute
18 Spikelets 1.8-3.1 mm long, obovate, blunt, and the base not attenuate (except in D. arenicoloides with autumnal spikelets 2.3-3.1 mm long); larger vernal leaf blades 2-8 mm wide, the lower usually wider and often shorter than mid-culm leaf blades; autumnal leaf blades involute or flat.
19 Longest vernal blades to 16 cm, widest vernal leaf blades 4-8 mm, usually longitudinally wrinkled; vernal and autumnal spikelets 2.3-3.1 mm long; autumnal leaf blades flat, the larger to 9 cm by 2-4 mm
19 Longest vernal leaf blades to 6 cm (D. aciculare ) or 12 cm (D. arenicoloides) long, 2-5 mm wide, not noticeably wrinkled; vernal spikelets 1.5-2.8 mm long, autumnal spikelets either 1.5-2.3 (D. aciculare) or 2.3-3.1 (D. arenicoloides); autumnal leaf blades involute, the larger to 6 cm by 1.5 mm.
20 Longest vernal leaf blades to 12 cm, widest vernal leaf blades 3-4 (-5) mm; vernal spikelets 2.1-2.8 mm long; autumnal spikelets 2.3-3.1 mm long, pointed, attenuate, the glumes attached 0.3-0.5 mm below sterilelemma; first glumes 0.7-1.5 mm long; larger autumnal leaf blades to 6 cm by 1.5 mm
20 Longest vernal leaf blades to 6 (-8) cm, widest vernal leaf blades 2-5 mm; vernal and autumnal spikelets 1.7-2.3 mm long, blunt, not attenuate, the glumes attached < 0.2 mm below sterilelemma; first glumes 0.6-0.9 mm long; larger autumnal leaf blades to 3 cm by 1 mm
14 Blades of mid-culm leaves lanceolate, thin or firm but not stiff, usually < 10× as long as wide, usually 7 mm or more wide when as much as 8 cm long.
24 Culms 50-150 cm long; at least lowest sheaths papillose-pilose.
25 Lowest internodes usually purple-villous; nodes retrorsely (-spreading) bearded; spikelets 1.8-2.2 mm long, moderately densely pubescent; first glume broadly ovate, subacute, 0.4-0.7 mm long, usually < 1.5 × as long as wide; second glume about as long as sterile and fertile lemmas; fertile lemma 1.7-1.8 mm long
25 Lowest internodes glabrous or pubescent or spreading villous, usually not purplish; nodes glabrous, sparsely pubescent to sparsely bearded; spikelets 2.2-2.8 (-3.0) mm long, sparsely pubescent; first glume 0.7-1.1 mm long, usually > 1.5 × as long as wide; second glume shorter than sterile and fertile lemmas; fertile lemma 2.1-2.2 mm long
26 Spikelets strongly plano-convex when viewed laterally, obpyriform when viewed dorsally, (2.1-) 2.2-2.6 mm long; fertile lemma and paleapapillose or smooth; first glume usually broadened above base, rounded or broadly tapered distally; glume bases often reddish-purple.
27Culm leaves 2-5 mm wide; fertile lemma and palea smooth, shiny