Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green or sometimes reddish purple, rarely under-developed plants ascending, branched to nearly simple, 0.3–2(–2.5) m.

erect, usually branched or occasionally ± simple, 0.4–1.5(–2) m;

branches sometimes ascending.

petiole 1/2 as long as to equaling blade;

blade ovate, rhombic-ovate, or lanceolate, (2–)4–15 × (1–)2–6 cm, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to obtuse, with mucro.

petiole shorter than or rarely ± equaling blade;

blade mostly narrowly ovate, obovate, elliptic, or lanceolate, 1.5–8 × 0.5–3 cm, thin and soft, base cuneate to nearly rounded, margins entire, plane or irregularly undulate, apex subacute to obtuse, with terminal mucro.

lanceolate-linear to subulate, 2–3.5(–4) mm, subequal to or 2 times as long as tepals, apex spinescent.

of pistillate flowers with short, excurrent midrib, (1.5–)2–2.5 mm, equaling tepals or nearly so, apex acute or acuminate; of staminate flowers with prominent midribs, 2–3.5 mm, shorter than tepals, apex acute.

terminal and axillary, erect or reflexed, occasionally nodding, green or olive green, occasionally with silvery or reddish purple tint, leafless at least distally, terrminal inflorescence often slightly nodding with numerous shorter branches at base.

mostly terminal, spikes to panicles, erect to nodding, rarely with axillary clusters in proximal part of plant.

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

tepals 5, equal or subequal, 3 mm, apex obtuse to subacute;

inner tepals with apex indistinctly mucronulate;

stamens 5.

tepals 5, lanceolate to lanceolate-linear, subequal or unequal, 1.5–3 mm, membranaceous, apex acute or acuminate, gradually narrowing into aristate tip;

style branches erect, shorter than body of fruit;

stigmas 3.

tepals spatulate, 1.5–2.5 mm, apex obtuse, with terminal mucro;

style branches ± erect;

stigmas 2–3.

black to dark reddish brown, lenticular to lenticular-globose, 1–1.3 mm, smooth, shiny.

dark reddish brown, (0.9–)1–1.2 mm diam., shiny.

obovoid or elongate-ovoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, shorter than tepals, smooth proximally, lid verrucose or rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile, or rarely in some presumably hybrid forms, irregularly dehiscent or indehiscent.

light brown to brown, subglobose, 1.5–2 mm, shorter than tepals, walls thin, usually smooth.