Flora of North America species comparison

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

prostrate or ascending (very rarely suberect), much-branched (usually from base), (0.1–)0.2–0.6(–1) m. Leaves: petiole ± 1/2 as long as blade;

blade obovate, elliptic, or spatulate, 1–2(–4) × 0.5–1(–1.5) cm, base cuneate and tapering, margins usually entire, plane, rarely slightly undulate, apex obtuse, rounded, mucronulate.

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.

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

of pistillate flowers narrow, thin, 1.5–5 mm, ± equaling or slightly exceeding tepals.

mostly terminal, linear spikes to panicles, usually interrupted.

axillary glomerules, green.

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

stamens 5.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 3(–4);

stamens 3.

tepals absent;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3–5.

tepals (3–)4–5, narrowly ovate to broadly linear, unequal or subequal, 1.5–3 mm, thin, apex acute or acuminate;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3.

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

black, lenticular to broadly plumply lenticular, 1.3–1.6 mm diam., rather dull.

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).

broadly ovoid, 1.7–2.5 mm, equaling tepals, mostly smooth (slightly verrucose or rugose in dry plants), dehiscence regularly circumscissile.