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, slender, usually (0.5–)1–1.5 m. Leaves: petiole 1/4 length of blade;

blade linear to narrowly oblong, usually 10(–20) × 1 cm, base narrowly cuneate, margins entire, plane, apex obtuse to rounded.

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

of pistillate flowers 1–1.5 mm; of staminate flowers with moderately heavy midrib, 1–1.5 mm.

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

terminal, linear spikes to panicles.

inconspicuous, mostly at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

tepals 5, with excurrent midrib, equal to subequal, 2(–2.5) mm, apex acute to indistinctly mucronulate in outer tepals;

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 1–2(–3), unequal, inner tepals lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 1–1.5 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 3.

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

dark reddish brown to dark brown, 0.7–1 mm diam., shiny.

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

reddish to reddish brown, occasionally with indistinct longitudinal ridges, subglobose to broadly obovoid, 1.5–2.5 mm, wall thin or slightly fleshy, irregularly rugose.