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 or ascending, branched, 0.1–0.5 m. Leaves: petiole 1/2 as long as blade;

blade oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate-linear, 1–3 × 0.2–1 cm, base cuneate to narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane or sometimes undulate, apex rounded or obtuse-truncate, mucronate.

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

broadly ovate, 1 mm or shorter, 1/2 or less length of 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 axillary, but at apex flowers also condensed in terminal spikes or spicate panicles, usually leafy proximally or nearly leafless distally.

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

tepals (3–)5;

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 5, spreading at maturity, spatulate, clawed, subequal, 2 mm, margins fimbriate, apex rounded or shallowly emarginate;

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 nearly black, lenticular or broadly lenticular, 0.6–0.8 mm diam., smooth.

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

narrowly oblong, 1–1.4 mm, shorter than tepals, indehiscent.