Although close to commutatum and perhaps intergrading in some cases, ashei is a generally distinct southeastern segregate. Superficially. it suggests a transition to dichotomum. and initial analysis of DNA suggests that ashei is sister to the whole dichotomum complex (Majure et al. 2023). D. ashei is consistently found in subxeric to xeric woods on acid infertile soils, while commutatum occurs in more mesic-tending woods. The combinations ssp. ashei (Pearson ex Ashe) Freckman & Lelong and var. ashei (Pearson ex Ashe) Mohlenbrock are available, but species status is warranted (Ladd & Thomas 2015). D. ashei differs from typical commutatum (W) in its generally smaller largest leaf blades (mostly 4-8 cm x 5-10 mm versus 5-16 cm x 10-20 mm), shorter spikelets on average (ca. 2.1-2.7 mm versus 2.2-3.7 mm), shorter first glumes (0.7-0.9 versus 0.5-2.6 mm), and more pubescent internodes ("crisp-puberulent" versus "glabrous or sparsely puberulent"); see also Anderson (1924). Unlike ashei, typical commutatum tends to have blades increasing markedly up the culms, and the culms tend to be more spreading.