Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect or ascending, often whitish or tinged with red, usually branched distally, sometimes proximally, to nearly simple, 0.2–1 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 usually longer than or ± equaling blade;

blade rhombic-ovate, ovate, obovate, or elliptic, 1–4.5 × 0.5–2.5 cm, usually somewhat fleshy, base cuneate, margins entire, apex obtuse to slightly emarginate, with terminal mucro.

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

lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 5–10 mm, longer than tepals, apex spinescent.

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

terminal, usually unbranched, stout spikes and axillary clusters, erect, usually greenish or reddish, leafless at least distally.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

few at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens 3–5.

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 5, elongate, not clawed, unequal or subequal, 1.5–2.5 mm, apex obtuse to subacute;

style branches elongated, shorter than body of fruit;

stigmas 3.

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

black, lenticular to subglobose-lenticular, 1–1.2 mm diam., smooth, 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.

subglobose to broadly obovoid, 1.3–2.5 mm, equal or subequal to tepals, shorter than style branches, smooth or slightly rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.