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, simple to sparingly branched distally, or occasionally basally, 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 shorter than to ± equaling blade;

blade rhombic-ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1.5–6 × 0.5–3 cm, base broadly to narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane to slightly undulate, apex obtuse to subacute, or shallowly emarginate, with terminal mucro.

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

linear-lanceolate to subulate, to 2 times as long as 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 and axillary in distal part of plant, erect, usually reddish green, branched, leafless at least distally, short and thick.

clustered at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 2–3;

stamens 2–3.

few at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens 4–5.

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, spatulate-linear, not clawed, subequal or unequal, 1.5–2 mm, membranaceous, apex emarginate or retuse to obtuse, outer tepals with apex rarely subacute;

style branches shorter than body of fruit;

stigmas 3.

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

dark reddish brown to nearly black, lenticular to subglobose-lenticular, 1 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 mm, equal or subequal to tepals, smooth or slightly rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.