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, green, branched, 0.3–1 m. Leaves: petiole of proximal leaves equaling or longer than blade, becoming shorter distally;

blade rhombic-ovate or ovate to elliptic, 3–12 × 2–8 cm, base broadly cuneate, margins entire, apex slightly acuminate to obtuse and faintly emarginate, mucronate.

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

lanceolate, shorter than 2 mm, shorter than tepals, apex spinescent.

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.

terminal panicles and axillary spikes;

panicles erect or often drooping, green, dense, branched, leafless at least distally.

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

usually clustered at tips of inflorescence branches, sometimes gathered in proximal glomerules (as in A. spinosus);

tepals 5, equal or subequal;

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, oblong-spatulate to oblong, not clawed, 1.5–2 mm, apex acute, often very shortly mucronate;

style branches strongly spreading, shorter than body of fruit;

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, subglobose or lenticular, 0.8–1 mm diam., shiny, smooth.

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

ovoid or subglobose, 1.5–2 mm, slightly shorter than tepals, smooth to irregularly wrinkled, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.

= 64.