Flora of North America species comparison

mainly 0.5–4(–5) dm;

stems usually branched from base, terete, stout, angled;

herbage scurfy.

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.

alternate or proximalmost subopposite, short petiolate or distal ones sessile;

petiole 2–5 mm;

blade cordate-ovate or subreniform to ovate to deltoid-ovate or oval, mainly 6–40 × 4–30 mm, base truncate to subcordate or broadly cuneate, margin entire or in some subhastately lobed or sometimes undulate-dentate, apex acute to rounded.

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

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

usually in fascicles of 1–3 in proximal axils.

dimorphic: black, 1.5–1.7 mm, or brown, 2 mm.

brownish to whitish, 1.5–2.3 mm.

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 monomorphic or dimorphic, larger ones on stipes (2–)4–8(–15) mm, others sessile, united at base, round-triangular or suborbicular, 4–6 mm, irregularly and coarsely dentate and with ± densely beset with flat, cristate, or hornlike appendages, smaller bracteoles (lacking or rare in var. asterocarpa) in same axils, oblong to cuneate, 3–4 mm, apex truncate, dentate only at summit, faces smooth.

glomerules in distal axils or in short, naked, terminal (early deciduous) panicles;

flowers with 5-parted calyx.

= 18.

= 18.