Flora of North America species comparison

usually erect, green or sometimes reddish purple, branched, mainly in inflorescences, to nearly simple, 0.3–1.5(–2) m, stiff.

prostrate to ascending, branched mainly from base, 0.1–0.4(–0.5) m. Leaves: petiole shorter than blade;

blade rhombic-ovate to oblong, 0.5–1.5(–2.5) × 0.3–0.8(–1.5) cm, base cuneate, margins crisped-erose, conspicuously undulate, apex acute to subobtuse, with short mucro.

petiole mostly equaling or longer than blade;

blade rhombic-ovate to broadly lanceolate, 4–8 × 2–3 cm, occasionally larger in robust plants, base cuneate to broadly cuneate, margins entire, apex cuneate to obtuse or indistinctly emarginate, with mucro.

lanceolate to linear-subulate, 4–7 mm, 2–3 times as long as tepals, rigid.

lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 1.2–1.7 mm, ± equaling or slightly shorter than tepals.

mostly terminal, usually with spikes at distal axils, erect and rigid, green to silvery green, occasionally tinged red, leafless at least distally.

axillary glomerules, green, axes not thickened, not indurage at maturity.

clustered at tips of inflorescence branches;

tepals 3–5;

stamens 3–5.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 5;

stamens 5.

tepals usually 3–5, not clawed, unequal;

outer tepals narrowly ovate-elliptic or elliptic, 1.5–3.5 mm, apex aristate;

style branches spreading, shorter than body of fruit;

stigmas 3.

tepals 5, spatulate-oblong, equal to subequal, 1.2–1.7 mm, margins entire, apex rounded to subacute;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3, sessile.

black, subglobose to lenticular, 1–1.4 mm diam., smooth, shiny.

black to dark reddish brown, lenticular to obovoid-lenticular, 0.7–1 mm diam., smooth.

subglobose or compressed-ovoid, 2–3 mm, equaling or shorter than tepals, smooth or lid slightly rugose or minutely verrucose, dehiscence regularly circumscissile.

ellipsoid or obovoid, 1.5–2 mm, slightly longer than tepals, smooth to slightly wrinkled, indehiscent.