Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect to ascending or decumbent, branched at or distal to base, 0.1–0.9 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 variable in length;

blade lanceolate to nearly linear or rhombic-ovate to elliptic-ovate, (1.5–)2–4(–5) × 1–3 cm, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margins entire, plane, rarely indistinctly undulate, apex subacute to obtuse or emarginate, mucronulate.

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

lanceolate, subspinescent, 1.5–2 mm, shorter or slightly longer than tepals.

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

axillary glomerules, green.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 3, equal or subequal;

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 3, erect, elliptic to lanceolate-elliptic, equal or subequal, 1.5–2 mm, apex short-acuminate;

style branches slightly spreading;

stigmas (2–)3.

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

black, lenticular, 1–1.3(–1.6) 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.

subglobose to broadly elliptic, 2–2.5 mm, slightly rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile, rarely irregularly dehiscent.