Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green or reddish purple, branched distally, mostly in inflorescence, to nearly simple, 0.4–2 m. Leaves: petiole 1/2 as long as to ± equaling blade;

blade rhombic-ovate or ovate to broadly lanceolate, 3–15(–20) × 1.5–10(–15) cm, occasionally larger in robust plants, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex acute or subobtuse to slightly emarginate, with mucro.

usually erect, ascending proximally, rarely almost prostrate, much-branched, bushy (large plants forming tumbleweeds), 0.1–1 m. Leaves: petiole 1/2 as long as blade, or longer in young proximal leaves;

blade obovate to narrowly spatulate, mostly 0.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm, early proximal leaves to 8 cm, base tapering, narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane (or ± distinctly undulate), apex obtuse, with whitish or yellowish, subspinescent mucro.

narrowly spathulate, 2–3 mm, equaling or slightly longer than tepals, apex short-spinescent.

of pistillate flowers subulate to linear-lanceolate, narrow, 2–3 mm, 2 times as long as tepals.

terminal and axillary, erect, reflexed, or nodding, usually dark red, purple, or deep beet-red, less commonly almost green or greenish red, leafless at least distally, large and robust.

axillary glomerules, green, whitish green, or yellowish.

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

tepals 5, oblong to lanceolate, not clawed, equal or subequal, 1.5–3 mm, apex acute;

style branches erect or slightly reflexed;

stigmas 3.

tepals 3, narrowly ovate to linear, slightly unequal, 1–1.5 mm, thin, apex acute;

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

usually white or ivory, with reddish or yellowish tint, sometimes dark brown to dark reddish brown, broadly lenticular to elliptic-lenticular, 1.2–1.6 mm diam., smooth or indistinctly punctate.

dark reddish brown to black, lenticular, 0.6–1 mm diam., shiny.

obovoid to elongate-obovoid, 2–2.5 mm, smooth or slightly rugose distally, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.

ellipsoid-ovoid, 1.5 mm, equaling or exceeding tepals, smooth proximally, coarsely rugose distally, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.