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.

ascending to prostrate, sometimes erect, simple or branched, sometimes radiating from base and forming mats, 0.1–0.6 m. Leaves: petiole usually equaling to 2 times as long as blade;

blade ovate or obovate, 1–6 × 0.5–4 cm, base tapering or cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex distinctly emarginate to almost bilobate, mucronate.

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

of pistillate flowers lanceolate, inconspicuous, 0.5 mm, shorter than tepals.

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

slender terminal spikes or panicles and also axillary clusters, in some forms only axillary clusters are present;

spikes erect or sometimes reflexed, green, leafless at least distally.

inconspicuous, mostly at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

clustered at tips of spikes;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

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 3, elliptic or spatulate, not clawed, equal or subequal, 0.8–1.5 mm, margins entire, apex broadly acute;

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

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

black or dark reddish brown, subglobose or broadly lenticular, (0.8–)1–1.8 mm diam., smooth, shiny, filling fruit almost completely.

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

compressed, subglobose to obovate, 1.2–2.5(–3) mm, exceeding tepals, smooth or faintly rugose, indehiscent.