Flora of North America species comparison

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

prostrate, whitish or tinged with red, much-branched from base, 0.1–0.5 m, rather fleshy.

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 1/2 or less as long as blade;

blade pale green, veins prominent, obovate, spatulate, or oblanceolate to linear, 0.3–2(–3) × 0.2–1.5 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex obtuse to subacute, with prominent mucro.

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

of pistillate flowers linear, 0.5–1 mm, ± equaling tepals.

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

axillary clusters borne from bases to tops of plants.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals (2–)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 1–3, narrowly lanceolate, unequal, usually with only 1 well-developed tepal, largest 1–1.2 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

stigmas 3.

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

very dark reddish brown, lenticular, (0.6–)0.7–1 mm diam., shiny.

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.

subglobose, 1–1.2 mm, smooth or wrinkled (especially in dry plants), dehiscence regularly circumscissile or tardily dehiscent.