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, usually (0.3–)0.5–1.5(–3) m;

proximal branches often ascending.

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.

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

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.

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

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

inconspicuous, mostly at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

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

inner tepals with prominent midrib excurrent as rigid spine, apex long-acuminate or 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 1.7–3.8 mm, apex acuminate, mucronulate;

style branches spreading;

stigmas 2(–3).

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

dark reddish brown to 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.

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.