Flora of North America species comparison

stiffly erect;

branchlets terete.

erect, mostly branched.

tardily deciduous, alternate or proximal-most subopposite, shortly petiolate;

blade gray green, oblong-ovate to elliptic or orbiculate, 8–30(–35) × 6–20 mm, margin entire or rarely dentate, apex rounded to retuse or obtuse.

mostly opposite or mostly alternate;

petiole 0.3–4+ cm;

blade green on both sides, ovate or ovate-lanceolate to cordate-hastate at base, 15–180 × 8–135 mm, margin entire or more rarely irregularly toothed or lobed, apex attenuate to acuminate or rounded.

of spikes disposed in leafless panicles.

yellow, in clusters 2–3 mm wide, borne in panicles 6–30 cm.

5-merous.

in small, very numerous glomerules in axils of elongated, terminal leafy-bracteate spikes or finally paniculate.

dimorphic, some ebracteolate and with 5-parted perianth, others without perianth enclosed by a pair of sessile or very shortly stipitate bracteoles.

brown, 2.4–2.8 mm.

of ebracteate flowers black, horizontal, convex, 1–2 mm wide, lustrous;

those of bracteolate flowers olivaceous brown, vertical, flat, 3–4.5 mm wide, dull.

bracteoles sessile or substipitate, 4–5 × 5–9 mm, base broadly cuneate, margin sharply toothed, apical tooth subtended by 2–6 equal or smaller teeth, faces smooth or rarely tuberculate.

bracteoles samaralike, orbicular to oval or ovate, compressed, 5–18 mm, united only at base, entire, faces smooth.

= 18.