Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, reddish near base, branched in distal part to simple 0.2–1.5(–2) m; underdeveloped or damaged plants rarely ascending to nearly prostrate.

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 1/2 to equaling blade;

blade ovate to rhombic-ovate, 2–15 × 1–7 cm, base cuneate to rounded-cuneate, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex acute, obtuse, or slightly emarginate, with terminal mucro.

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

lanceolate to subulate, (2.5–)3.5–5(–6) mm, exceeding tepals, apex acuminate with excurrent midrib.

mostly terminal, linear spikes to panicles, usually interrupted.

terminal and axillary, erect or reflexed at tip, green or silvery green, often with reddish or yellowish tint, branched, leafless at least distally, usually short and thick.

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

stamens 5.

few at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (3–)4–5.

tepals absent;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3–5.

tepals 5, spatulate-obovate, lanceolate-spatulate, not clawed, subequal or unequal, (2–)2.5–3.5(–4) mm, membranaceous, apex emarginate or obtuse, with mucro;

style branches erect or slightly spreading,;

stigmas 3.

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

black to dark reddish brown, lenticular to subglobose-lenticular, 1–1.3 mm, smooth, 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).

broadly obovoid to broadly elliptic, 1.5–2.5 mm, shorter than or subequal to tepals, smooth or slightly rugose, especially near base and in distal part, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.