Flora of North America species comparison

ascending or prostrate, much-branched from stout rootstock, 0.1–0.4 m.

erect, green, branched, 0.3–1 m.

petiole to 1/2 as long as blade;

blade linear to narrowly lanceolate, 1.5–8 × 0.2–0.5(–1) mm, base tapering, margins entire, plane to undulate, apex obtuse and often emarginate.

petiole of proximal leaves equaling or longer than blade, becoming shorter distally;

blade rhombic-ovate or ovate to elliptic, 3–12 × 2–8 cm, base broadly cuneate, margins entire, apex slightly acuminate to obtuse and faintly emarginate, mucronate.

of pistillate flowers linear, 0.7–1.2 mm, 1/2–2/3 as long as tepals.

lanceolate, shorter than 2 mm, shorter than tepals, apex spinescent.

terminal, compact pyramidal panicles and axillary glomerules, erect or reflexed, green, leafless at least distally.

terminal panicles and axillary spikes;

panicles erect or often drooping, green, dense, branched, leafless at least distally.

intermixed with pistillate or at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens 5.

usually clustered at tips of inflorescence branches, sometimes gathered in proximal glomerules (as in A. spinosus);

tepals 5, equal or subequal;

stamens 5.

tepals 5, narrowly oblanceolate, not clawed, equal, 1.5–2 mm, apex obtuse or subacute;

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

tepals 5, oblong-spatulate to oblong, not clawed, 1.5–2 mm, apex acute, often very shortly mucronate;

style branches strongly spreading, shorter than body of fruit;

stigmas 3.

black, lenticular, 1–1.2 mm diam., semiglossy.

dark reddish brown to black, subglobose or lenticular, 0.8–1 mm diam., shiny, smooth.

compressed, subglobose, 1.7–2 mm, ± equaling or slightly exceeding tepals, muricate, indehiscent.

ovoid or subglobose, 1.5–2 mm, slightly shorter than tepals, smooth to irregularly wrinkled, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.

= 64.