Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, often branched, 0.8–1.5 m. Leaves: petiole 1/2 as long as blade;

blade ovate, elliptic, rhombic, or lanceolate, mostly 4–12 × 1.4–6 cm, base tapering, margins entire, usually undulate, apex acuminate and short-mucronate;

distal leaf blades green, red, scarlet, maroon, purple, yellow, and cream (unique to A. tricolor).

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 ovate to lanceolate, 5–6 mm.

mostly terminal, linear spikes to panicles, usually interrupted.

axillary glomerules.

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;

stamens 3.

tepals absent;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3–5.

tepals 3, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 5–6 mm, apex aristate;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 2–3.

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

black or brownish black, subglobose, 1 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).

ovoid, 2–2.5 mm, rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.