Flora of North America species comparison

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

prostrate or weakly ascending, erect when young, branched mostly from base, 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 nearly 1/2 as long as blade;

blade broadly elliptic, obovate, orbiculate, or oblanceolate, (0.5–)1–3(–4.5) × 0.3–2(–2.5) cm, base cuneate, margins entire, plane to undulate, apex broadly rounded or emarginate.

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

of pistillate flowers keeled (only A. scleropoides and A. crassipes have keeled bracts), deltate, 0.5–0.9 mm.

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 base to apex, axes much thickened, appearing inflated, becoming indurate at maturity (only in A. scleropoides and A. crassipes).

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 5, membranaceous;

stamens 3(–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 (4–)5, narrowly spatulate, clawed, with small expanded blade, equal or subequal, 2–3 mm, apex rounded and apiculate;

claws becoming indurate and scarious at maturity;

style branches spreading;

stigmas usually 2(–3), almost sessile.

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

dark brownish or reddish black to black, compressed-ovoid to broadly lenticular, 1–1.4 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.

obovoid to compressed-obovoid, 1.4–2 mm, shorter than tepals, prominently muricate (especially in distal 1/2), indehiscent.