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.

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

branches usually 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 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.

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

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

at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens (4–)5.

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

style branches spreading;

stigmas 2(–3).

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

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