Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect or ascending, often whitish or tinged with red, simple to sparingly branched distally, or occasionally basally, 0.2–1 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 shorter than to ± equaling blade;

blade rhombic-ovate to elliptic-lanceolate, 1.5–6 × 0.5–3 cm, base broadly to narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane to slightly undulate, apex obtuse to subacute, or shallowly emarginate, with terminal mucro.

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

linear-lanceolate to subulate, to 2 times as long as tepals, apex spinescent.

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

terminal and axillary in distal part of plant, erect, usually reddish green, branched, leafless at least distally, short and thick.

intermixed with pistillate or at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens 5.

few at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 5;

stamens 4–5.

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

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

tepals 5, spatulate-linear, not clawed, subequal or unequal, 1.5–2 mm, membranaceous, apex emarginate or retuse to obtuse, outer tepals with apex rarely subacute;

style branches shorter than body of fruit;

stigmas 3.

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

dark reddish brown to nearly black, lenticular to subglobose-lenticular, 1 mm diam., smooth, shiny.

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

subglobose to broadly obovoid, 1.3–2 mm, equal or subequal to tepals, smooth or slightly rugose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.