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Key to Eriochloa

Poaceae

Eriochloa

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(c) Campos, Aidan
(c) Campos, Aidan
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
(c) Bradley, Keith
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 1.1-1.8 mm wide.
    3 Annual, 3-12 dm tall; spikelets 1.1-1.4 mm wide
    3 Perennial, 5-25 dm tall; spikelets 1.1-1.3 mm wide (E. polystachya) or 1.3-1.8 mm wide (E. michauxii).
      4 Culms decumbent, rooting at the lower nodes; spikelets 3.2-3.9 mm long, 1.1-1.3 mm wide
      4 Culms erect, not rooting at the lower nodes; spikelets 3.7-5.7 mm long, 1.3-1.8 mm wide.