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Key to Eriochloa

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Show caption*© Aidan Campos Show caption*© Aidan Campos 1 Lemma of fertile floret with an awn > 0.2 mm long; second glume awned; panicle compact, the raceme-like lateral branches close together and ascending-appressed, of irregular lengths; spikelets 8-16 on a typical, primary branch  Eriochloa contracta

Show caption*© Keith Bradley 1 Lemma of fertile floret lacking an awn; second glume not awned; panicle open, the raceme-like lateral branches remote and divergent, the lowermost longest, the upper gradually reduced in length to the apex (E. acuminata var. acuminata, E. michauxii var. michauxii) or the panicle compact (E. villosa); spikelets 12-40 on a typical, primary branch.

2 Spikelets 2.0-2.5 mm wide  Eriochloa villosa

2 Spikelets 1.1-1.8 mm wide.

3 Annual, 3-12 dm tall; spikelets 1.1-1.4 mm wide  Eriochloa acuminata var. acuminata

3 Perennial, 5-25 dm tall; spikelets 1.3-1.8 mm wide.

4 Lower florets staminate; blades generally flat, 8-15 mm wide  Eriochloa michauxii var. michauxii

4 Lower florets sterile; blades involute or conduplicate, 5-8 mm wide  Eriochloa michauxii var. simpsonii