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 to ascending, much-branched from base, 0.3–1 m.

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 blade;

blade ovate, or rhombic-ovate to elliptic, 1.5–4 × 0.5–2 cm, thick, coarse, base cuneate to rounded, margins entire, plane or irregularly undulate, apex rounded-obtuse to emarginate, 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, 1.5–2.5 mm, shorter than tepals, apex acute or acuminate; of staminate flowers 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, usually erect, thick, flexible.

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

tepals 5, equal, 2–3 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 with dark, prominent midrib not excurrent, spatulate, subequal, 2–3 mm, apex obtuse to subacute, with terminal mucro;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3.

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

dark brown, 1.2–1.7 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, elliptic, 3 mm, equaling tepals, walls somewhat fleshy, smooth, indehiscent.