Flora of North America species comparison

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

ascending, prostrate, or erect, not fleshy (fleshy in A. pumilus and A. californicus).

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.

of pistillate flowers linear, 0.5–1 mm, 1/2 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 or exclusively axillary, glomerules or short spikes, if terminal inflorescences also developed, then axillary clusters present to base of plant.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

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 usually (1–)3–5.

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

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.

indehiscent, tardily dehiscent, or dehiscence circumscissile.