Flora of North America species comparison

erect, mostly branched.

many, subsessile or very short petiolate;

blade subconcolorous, lanceolate to oblong, elliptic, or oval, (8–)10–30(–40) × 3–12(–15) mm, margin sharply dentate to entire.

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 glomerules in terminal spikes or panicles 3–20 cm, or reduced to solitary, rounded, terminal glomerule.

5-merous.

in small clusters, axillary.

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

brown, 1–1.3(–1.5) 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 subsessile (stipe to 1 mm), cuneate-orbicular to obovate, somewhat compressed, 2.1–3.5 × (1.7–)2–3.7 mm, united 1/2 of length, margin sharply and often slenderly toothed beyond middle, faces often rather strongly veined, smooth or with 1 or more slender or flattened appendages.

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

= 18.

= 18.