Flora of North America species comparison

monomorphic, without short axillary shoots.

± dimorphic, with elongate primary and short or somewhat elongate axillary shoots.

of 2d-year stems brown or yellow-brown, glabrous.

of 2d-year stems purple, glabrous.

9-21-foliolate;

petioles 2-11 cm.

5-9-foliolate (basal pair of leaflets sometimes reduced to bristles);

petioles 0.1-0.5 cm.

blades thin and ± flexible;

surfaces abaxially rather dull, smooth, adaxially dull, somewhat glaucous;

terminal leaflet stalked, blade 2.9-8.4 × 1.2-4.8 cm, 1.8-3.2 times as long as wide;

lateral leaflet blades lance-ovate to ovate, 4-6-veined from base, base rounded to cordate, margins plane, toothed, each with 6-13 teeth 1-2(-3) mm tipped with spines to 1-2.4 × 0.1-0.2 mm, apex acute or broadly acuminate.

blades thin or thick and rigid;

surfaces abaxially dull, papillose, adaxially dull, somewhat glaucous;

terminal leaflet stalked (sessile in a few leaves), blades 1.8-3.5 × 0.7-1.7 cm, 1.3-4.7 times as long as wide;

lateral leaflets oblong to elliptic or lanceolate, 1-veined from base, base truncate to obtuse, rarely acute, margins plane or undulate, toothed, each with 3-8 teeth 0.5-2 mm high tipped with spines to 0.6-1.2 × 0.1-0.2 mm, apex rounded to acuminate.

absent.

absent.

racemose, dense, 30-70-flowered, 6-17 cm;

bracteoles membranous, apex acute, obtuse, or rounded.

racemose, lax, 2-6-flowered, 4-6 cm;

bracteoles leathery, apex spinose-acuminate, sometimes with proximal bracteoles as described, distal membranous and acuminate.

anther filaments without distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

anther filaments with distal pair of recurved lateral teeth.

blue, glaucous, oblong-ovoid or globose, 8-11 mm, juicy, solid.

white or red and somewhat glaucous, spheric, 9-16 mm, dry or juicy, hollow.

scales (13-)20-44 mm, persistent.

scales 1.5-4 mm, deciduous.

= 56.