Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect to ascending, much-branched from base, 0.3–1 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.

petiole shorter than blade;

blade ovate, or rhombic-ovate to elliptic, 1.5–4 × 0.5–2 cm, thick, coarse, base cuneate to rounded, margins entire, plane or irregularly undulate, apex rounded-obtuse to emarginate, with terminal mucro.

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

of pistillate flowers with short, excurrent midrib, 1.5–2.5 mm, shorter than tepals, apex acute or acuminate; of staminate flowers shorter than tepals, apex acute.

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

mostly terminal, spikes to panicles, usually erect, thick, flexible.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

tepals 5, equal, 2–3 mm, apex obtuse to subacute;

inner tepals: with apex indistinctly mucronulate;

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 with dark, prominent midrib not excurrent, spatulate, subequal, 2–3 mm, apex obtuse to subacute, with terminal mucro;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3.

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

dark brown, 1.2–1.7 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.

light brown, elliptic, 3 mm, equaling tepals, walls somewhat fleshy, smooth, indehiscent.