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-ascending to prostrate, branched mostly at base and in proximal 1/2, 0.1–0.5 m. Leaves: petiole ± equaling blade;

blade ovate, obovate-rhombic to narrowly ovate, sometimes lanceolate, 1.5–3(–4) × 0.5–1.5(–2) cm, base cuneate, margins entire to undulate-erose, apex rounded, obtuse, or emarginate, mucronate.

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

of pistillate flowers lanceolate or linear, 1–1.5 mm, 1/2 as long as tepals.

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

axillary, congested clusters.

inconspicuous, mostly at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals (4–)5;

stamens 2–3.

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 5, connate in proximal 1/3 (entirely distinct in all other species), with 3 prominent veins abaxially, spatulate or somewhat clawed, equal or subequal, 2–3 mm, apex rounded or retuse, mucronate;

style branches somewhat spreading;

stigmas 3.

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

dark reddish brown to black, lenticular, 0.8–1 mm diam., shiny.

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

cylindric or narrowly turbinate, 2–2.5 mm, ± equaling tepals, smooth proximally or roughened toward tips, indehiscent or tardily dehiscent.