Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect or with lateral branches ascending, usually branched from base, main and lateral stems sparingly branched or simple, 0.3–0.7(–1) 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.

short-petiolate;

petiole 1/4–1/2 as long as blade;

blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, (1–)2–6(–10) × 0.1–0.5(–1) cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex acute to mucronulate.

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

of pistillate flowers ovate to ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.8 mm, shorter than tepals, about 1/2 or less as long as tepals.

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

mostly axillary clusters scattered from base to apex of plants, distally condensed in lax, unbranched, almost leafless, slender, terminal spikes, interrupted.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

tepals 5, apex obtuse;

stamens (2–)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 5, reflexed, fan-shaped to broadly spatulate, clawed, equal or subequal, 1.5–3.3 mm, margins fimbriate or denticulate, apex much expanded and obtuse;

style branches erect to ± spreading;

stigmas 3(–4).

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

black or dark reddish brown, lenticular to broadly lenticular, 0.8–1 mm diam., shiny, smooth.

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 to obovate, 1.2–2 mm, shorter than tepals, rugose to nearly smooth, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.

= 34.