Flora of North America species comparison

erect, branched, usually (0.3–)0.5–1.5(–3) m;

proximal branches often ascending.

usually erect, ascending proximally, rarely almost prostrate, much-branched, bushy (large plants forming tumbleweeds), 0.1–1 m.

long-petiolate;

blade obovate or rhombic-obovate to elliptic proximally, sometimes lanceolate distally, 1.5–7 × 1–3.5 cm, base broadly to narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex subobtuse to acute, usually with terminal mucro.

petiole 1/2 as long as blade, or longer in young proximal leaves;

blade obovate to narrowly spatulate, mostly 0.5 × 0.5–1.5 cm, early proximal leaves to 8 cm, base tapering, narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane (or ± distinctly undulate), apex obtuse, with whitish or yellowish, subspinescent mucro.

of pistillate flowers with long-excurrent midrib, 4–6 mm, longer than tepals, apex acuminate or mucronulate; of staminate flowers, 4 mm, equaling or longer than outer tepals, apex long-acuminate.

of pistillate flowers subulate to linear-lanceolate, narrow, 2–3 mm, 2 times as long as tepals.

terminal, linear spikes to panicles, usually drooping, occasionally erect, especially when young, with few axillary clusters, uninterrupted or interrupted in proximal part of plant.

axillary glomerules, green, whitish green, or yellowish.

tepals 5, unequal, 2–4 mm, apex acute;

inner tepals with prominent midrib excurrent as rigid spine, apex long-acuminate or mucronulate;

stamens 5.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

tepals 1.7–3.8 mm, apex acuminate, mucronulate;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 2(–3).

tepals 3, narrowly ovate to linear, slightly unequal, 1–1.5 mm, thin, apex acute;

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

dark reddish brown to brown, 1–1.2 mm diam., shiny.

dark reddish brown to black, lenticular, 0.6–1 mm diam., shiny.

tan to brown, occasionally reddish brown, obovoid to subglobose, 1.5–2 mm, shorter than tepals, at maturity walls thin, almost smooth or indistinctly rugose.

ellipsoid-ovoid, 1.5 mm, equaling or exceeding tepals, smooth proximally, coarsely rugose distally, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.