Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, usually green, moderately branched, rarely nearly simple, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) 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 shorter than to equaling blade;

blade rhombic-ovate, ovate, or elliptic to broadly lanceolate, 5–15(–20) × 2–10 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to subobtuse, with mucro.

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

narrowly lanceolate to linear, equaling or subequal to tepals, not exceeding style branches, apex acuminate with excurrent midrib.

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

terminal, drooping or nodding, usually red, purple, or white, less commonly green, silvery green, or yellow, usually much-branched at base, leafless at least distally, very large and robust.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

mostly at tips of inflorescences;

tepals (4–)5;

stamens 5.

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 5, spatulate-obovate or lanceolate-obovate, not clawed, subequal, (1–)1.5–2(–2.5) mm, membranaceous, apex obtuse, slightly emarginate, or subacute with mucro;

style branches spreading or reflexed;

stigmas 3.

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

dark brown to brownish black or reddish brown, yellowish white, or ivory, lenticular to subglobose, 1–1.2(–1.5) mm diam., smooth or indistinctly punctate.

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.

broadly ovoid to subglobose, 1.5–2(–2.5) mm, ± equaling tepals, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.