Flora of North America species comparison

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

ascending to erect, usually much-branched, 0.1–1 m;

branches usually ascending.

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 or equaling blade;

blade ovate, obovate to elliptic, or oblong-elliptic, 1–8 × 0.5–4 cm, base broadly cuneate to nearly rounded, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex obtuse to emarginate, usually with terminal mucro.

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

of pistillate flowers with long-excurrent midrib, 3–4 mm, longer than tepals, apex long-acuminate or mucronulate; of staminate flowers 2.5–4 mm, usually equaling outer tepals, apex long-acuminate or mucronulate.

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

mostly terminal, erect spikes to panicles, usually thick and uninterrupted, with few axillary clusters in basal part of plant.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

tepals 5, equal or subequal, 1.5–2(–3) mm, apex acute or almost obtuse;

inner tepal apex acuminate or mucronulate;

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 with dark midribs not excurrent, spatulate to fan-shaped, 1.7–2.2 mm, apex obtuse, with terminal mucro;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 2(–3).

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

dark reddish brown to nearly black, (0.8–)1–1.2 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 to brown, obovoid to subglobose, 1.5–2 mm, shorter than tepals, walls thin, smooth or indistinctly rugose.