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.

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

branches sometimes ascending.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

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

inner tepals with apex indistinctly mucronulate;

stamens 5.

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

style branches ± erect;

stigmas 2–3.

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, (0.9–)1–1.2 mm diam., shiny.

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

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