1 Adaxial surface of leaf blade with erect or variously directed, strumose pilosity, these hairs arising from intercostal sulcae; principal leaves with blades shallowly auricled, slightly bent outward from the sheath; longer primary panicle branches 1/3-1/2 as long as the whole panicle, these usually naked-based and widely ascending (to 45 degrees or slightly more) giving the panicle an ovate or broadly elliptic outline; glume and lower (outer) lemma surfaces often with longitudinal broad, reddish bands; spikelet trichomes commonly reddish, or pale with red or pink tips; ligule base reddish, its edge ascending-ciliate, the pale hairs to 1 (-1.5) mm long

1 Adaxial surface of leaf blade lacking trichomes of any sort (save for occasional papillae or microhairs), sometimes scabrid; principal leaves with blades either strongly auricled and bent outward from their sheaths, or lacking auricles and erect to gradually bowed outward with no geniculation; longer primary panicle branches either less than 1/3 as long as the whole panicle, or seldom widely ascending, and generally with a narrower outline and a denser look; glume and lower (outer) lemma surfaces with or lacking longitudinal broad, reddish bands; spikelet trichomes reddish or not; ligule base edge ranging from papillate-tuberculate to variously ciliolate or ciliate or with a line of narrowly triangular scales.

..2 Leaves weakly if at all geniculate and auriculate at junction of blade and sheath, ascending to erect (lacking a sharp bend outward at the summit of the sheath), medium green; blade (3-) 4-8 (-10) mm wide, the proximal margins glabrous or sometimes ascending pilose-ciliate; pigmentation of leaves, spikelets and their trichomes variously reddish or purplish; fertile lemma red-brown to nearly black, leaf tip with a very short taper to a blunt or rounded apex; lower sheaths crowded and keeled (therefore distichous)

..2 Leaves strongly geniculate and auriculate at junction of blade and sheath, spreading, usually squarrose (with a sharp bend outward at the summit of the sheath), yellowish green; blade 4-10 (-15) mm wide, the proximal margins ciliate at least basally with ascending strumose-hirsute cilia; pigment of leaves, spikelets and their trichomes usually with little or any red; fertile lemma brown; leaf tip with a long taper to a sharp apex; lower sheaths not crowded, keeled, or distichous