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.

prostrate to ascending, branched mainly from base, 0.1–0.4(–0.5) m. Leaves: petiole shorter than blade;

blade rhombic-ovate to oblong, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) × 0.3–0.8(–1.5) cm, base cuneate, margins crisped-erose, conspicuously undulate, apex acute to subobtuse, with short mucro.

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

lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 1.2–1.7 mm, ± equaling or slightly shorter than 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, axes not thickened, not indurage at maturity.

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 5;

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 5, spatulate-oblong, equal to subequal, 1.2–1.7 mm, margins entire, apex rounded to subacute;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3, sessile.

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.

black to dark reddish brown, lenticular to obovoid-lenticular, 0.7–1 mm diam., smooth.

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

ellipsoid or obovoid, 1.5–2 mm, slightly longer than tepals, smooth to slightly wrinkled, indehiscent.