Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, branched, slender, usually (0.5–)1–1.5 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 1/4 length of blade;

blade linear to narrowly oblong, usually 10(–20) × 1 cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex obtuse to rounded.

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

of pistillate flowers 1–1.5 mm; of staminate flowers with moderately heavy midrib, 1–1.5 mm.

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

terminal, linear spikes to panicles.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

tepals 5, with excurrent midrib, equal to subequal, 2(–2.5) mm, apex acute to indistinctly mucronulate in outer tepals;

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 1–2(–3), unequal, inner tepals lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 1–1.5 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3.

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

dark reddish brown to dark brown, 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.

reddish to reddish brown, occasionally with indistinct longitudinal ridges, subglobose to broadly obovoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, wall thin or slightly fleshy, irregularly rugose.