Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, often branched, 0.8–1.5 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 1/2 as long as blade;

blade ovate, elliptic, rhombic, or lanceolate, mostly 4–12 × 1.4–6 cm, base tapering, margins entire, usually undulate, apex acuminate and short-mucronate;

distal leaf blades green, red, scarlet, maroon, purple, yellow, and cream (unique to A. tricolor).

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

of pistillate flowers ovate to lanceolate, 5–6 mm.

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

axillary glomerules.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 3;

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, narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 5–6 mm, apex aristate;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 2–3.

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

black or brownish black, subglobose, 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.

ovoid, 2–2.5 mm, rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.