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.

prostrate, whitish or tinged with red, much-branched from base, 0.1–0.5 m, rather fleshy.

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 1/2 or less as long as blade;

blade pale green, veins prominent, obovate, spatulate, or oblanceolate to linear, 0.3–2(–3) × 0.2–1.5 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex obtuse to subacute, with prominent mucro.

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

of pistillate flowers linear, 0.5–1 mm, ± equaling tepals.

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.

axillary clusters borne from bases to tops of plants.

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals (2–)3;

stamens 3.

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 1–3, narrowly lanceolate, unequal, usually with only 1 well-developed tepal, largest 1–1.2 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

stigmas 3.

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

very dark reddish brown, lenticular, (0.6–)0.7–1 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.

subglobose, 1–1.2 mm, smooth or wrinkled (especially in dry plants), dehiscence regularly circumscissile or tardily dehiscent.