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.

prostrate to ascending (often forming mats), red, much-branched, 0.1–0.4(–0.5) m, fleshy.

clustered near tips of branches;

petiole 5–10 mm;

blade orbiculate, broadly ovate or obovate, 1–1.5 cm × 1–1.5 cm, fleshy, base broadly cuneate to tapering, margin entire, plane or slightly undulate, apex broadly rounded to obtuse, mucronate.

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

of pistillate flowers ovate or elliptic, 1.2–2 mm, 1/2 as long as tepals.

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

dense axillary glomerules, green.

inconspicuous, mostly at tips of inflorescences;

tepals 3;

stamens 3.

intermixed with pistillate;

tepals 5;

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 5, linear to narrowly oblanceolate, slightly unequal, 2.5–4 mm, margins entire, apex obtuse;

style branches erect;

stigmas 3.

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

dark reddish brown, lenticular, 2.5 mm diam., glossy.

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

ovoid, 4–6 mm, exceeding tepals, fleshy, smooth or slightly rugose, longitudinally wrinkled on drying, indehiscent.