Flora of North America species comparison

ascending or prostrate, profusely branched basally, radiating from rootstock, mostly 0.2–0.5 m.

ascending to prostrate, sometimes erect, simple or branched, sometimes radiating from base and forming mats, 0.1–0.6 m.

petiole 1/2 as long as to equaling blade;

blade rhombic-ovate or ovate to lanceolate, 1–2 × 0.5–1 cm, base tapering or cuneate, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex subacute, obtuse, or retuse or shallowly emarginate, mucronulate.

petiole usually equaling to 2 times as long as blade;

blade ovate or obovate, 1–6 × 0.5–4 cm, base tapering or cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex distinctly emarginate to almost bilobate, mucronate.

of pistillate flowers linear, 0.5–1 mm, 1/2 as long as tepals.

of pistillate flowers lanceolate, inconspicuous, 0.5 mm, shorter than tepals.

terminal, erect, compact, pyramidal panicles and also some axillary clusters, green or silvery green, occasionally tinged with red, leafless at least distally.

slender terminal spikes or panicles and also axillary clusters, in some forms only axillary clusters are present;

spikes erect or sometimes reflexed, green, leafless at least distally.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

clustered at tips of spikes;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

tepals 2–3, narrowly elliptic or oblanceolate, not clawed, equal or subequal, 1.2–2 mm, apex broadly acute;

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

tepals 3, elliptic or spatulate, not clawed, equal or subequal, 0.8–1.5 mm, margins entire, apex broadly acute;

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

very dark brown to black, 1–1.2 mm diam., shiny, filling only proximal portion of fruit.

black or dark reddish brown, subglobose or broadly lenticular, (0.8–)1–1.8 mm diam., smooth, shiny, filling fruit almost completely.

marked with 2(–3) green lines that intersect at apex and divide fruit into halves or quarters, slightly to distinctly inflated, ellipsoid, 2–3 mm, distinctly longer than tepals, smooth (in dry plants wrinkled or rugose), indehiscent.

compressed, subglobose to obovate, 1.2–2.5(–3) mm, exceeding tepals, smooth or faintly rugose, indehiscent.