Flora of North America species comparison

erect, mostly branched.

many, alternate, subsessile or short petiolate;

blade 1-veined, spatulate or obovate to oblong or elliptic, mainly 5–30(–40) × 2–9(–12) mm, base attenuate, margin remotely dentate to subentire, apex 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.

in small, terminal, leaf-bracteate glomerules 1.5 mm wide.

5-merous.

solitary or in few-flowered clusters in almost all but distalmost leaves.

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

dimorphic: black, 1.5–1.7 mm, or brown, 2 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 red-fleshy at maturity, sessile or short stipitate, strongly veined, rhombic, convex, 3–6.6 × 2.8–4.5 mm, united at base, margin toothed, apex obtuse to acute.

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

= 18.

= 18.