Flora of North America species comparison

erect, simple or with lateral branches (especially distally), 0.2–1 m. Leaves: petiole 1/2–11/2 as long as blade;

blade rhombic-ovate or ovate, 1–7 × 0.5–5 cm, base rounded, cuneate, or attenuate, margins entire, plane, apex obtuse, rounded, or emarginate, mucronate.

erect, branched, stout to robust, usually 1.5–3 m (occasionally to 9 m!) × 30 cm.

petiole 1/3–2/3 length of blade;

blade narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate, 10–20 × 1–4 cm, base cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex acute or long-attenuate to acuminate.

of pistillate flowers ovate to lanceolate, 1 mm, shorter than tepals.

of pistillate flowers 1.5–2 mm; of staminate flowers with moderately heavy midribs, 1.5–2 mm.

slender spikes aggregated into elongate terminal panicles, also from distal axils, green, leafless at least distally.

mostly terminal, linear spikes to panicles, usually interrupted.

inconspicuous, mostly at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

tepals 5, inner tepals with moderately prominent, excurrent midribs, equal, 2–2.5 mm, apex subacute to mucronulate;

stamens 5.

tepals 3, narrowly elliptic, obovate-elliptic or spatulate, not clawed, ± equal, 1.2–1.7 mm, apex rounded or nearly acute, mucronate or not;

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

tepals absent;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3–5.

black or dark brown, subglobose to thick-lenticular, 1 mm diam., minutely punctulate, rather dull.

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

ovoid to compressed-ovoid, 1–1.6 mm, equaling or slightly exceeding tepals, prominently or faintly rugose, indehiscent.

stramineous to brown, with 3(–5) longitudinal ridges corresponding to 3–5 style branches, elliptic or obovoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, slightly fleshy, smooth (slightly rugose in herbarium specimens).