Flora of North America species comparison

erect, branched, stout to robust, usually 1.5–3 m (occasionally to 9 m!) × 30 cm.

erect, usually branched or occasionally ± simple, 0.4–1.5(–2) m;

branches sometimes ascending.

petiole 1/3–2/3 length of blade;

blade narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 10–20 × 1–4 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex acute or long-attenuate to acuminate.

petiole shorter than or rarely ± equaling blade;

blade mostly narrowly ovate, obovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, 1.5–8 × 0.5–3 cm, thin and soft, base cuneate to nearly rounded, margins entire, plane or irregularly undulate, apex subacute to obtuse, with terminal mucro.

of pistillate flowers 1.5–2 mm; of staminate flowers with moderately heavy midribs, 1.5–2 mm.

of pistillate flowers with short, excurrent midrib, (1.5–)2–2.5 mm, equaling tepals or nearly so, apex acute or acuminate; of staminate flowers with prominent midribs, 2–3.5 mm, shorter than tepals, apex acute.

mostly terminal, linear spikes to panicles, usually interrupted.

mostly terminal, spikes to panicles, erect to nodding, rarely with axillary clusters in proximal part of plant.

tepals 5, inner tepals with moderately prominent, excurrent midribs, equal, 2–2.5 mm, apex subacute to mucronulate;

stamens 5.

tepals 5, equal or subequal, 3 mm, apex obtuse to subacute;

inner tepals with apex indistinctly mucronulate;

stamens 5.

tepals absent;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3–5.

tepals spatulate, 1.5–2.5 mm, apex obtuse, with terminal mucro;

style branches ± erect;

stigmas 2–3.

reddish brown to dark brown, 1–1.2 mm diam., shiny.

dark reddish brown, (0.9–)1–1.2 mm diam., shiny.

stramineous to brown, with 3(–5) longitudinal ridges corresponding to 3–5 style branches, elliptic or obovoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, slightly fleshy, smooth (slightly rugose in herbarium specimens).

light brown to brown, subglobose, 1.5–2 mm, shorter than tepals, walls thin, usually smooth.