Flora of North America species comparison

erect to arching;

young stem internodes brown, 2–6.5(–12) mm, glabrous or hirtellous-pilose, rarely glandular.

decumbent (plants low, mounded, mostly to 5 dm);

internodes 1.5–4.5 mm;

young stems glabrous.

crowded on short shoots;

stipules green, 0.5–1.5 mm on long-shoot leaves, smaller on fascicled leaves;

blade dark green, linear-oblanceolate, (2–)3–10(–13) × 0.6–1(–1.7) mm, apex acute, apiculate to obtuse, abaxial surface glabrous or hirtellous or villous, adaxial glabrous.

clavate, semiterete, 2–6.3 mm, apex acute.

of alternately branched pyramidal panicles, 3.5–10(–17) × 1–9(–15) cm or reduced to cylindric racemes or spikes, glabrous; subtending flower bracts 3-lobed, medial lobe largest;

bracteoles 2, subulate.

present, short.

in clusters of 1–3(–7);

hypanthium green, 1.5–2.4 × 1–1.6(–2) mm, obscurely 10-veined, conspicuously so when dry, glabrous or weakly hirtellous, inner rims whitish;

sepals broadly ovate to semiorbiculate, 0.5–0.9 mm;

petals tardily falling, white, turning rusty, obovate-orbiculate, to 1–2 mm diam.;

stamens (10–)15, filaments 1–1.5 mm, anthers 0.4–0.8 mm;

ovaries obconic;

styles curved over ovary, erect distally, white, rarely pinkish distally, 1–1.4 mm.

obovoid, 1.2–1.8(–2.4) mm, contained within hypanthium.