Flora of North America species comparison

simple to freely branched, erect.

blades elliptic, lanceolate to broadly ovate, 5-18 × 2-10 cm, almost glabrous on both surfaces or abaxially densely short-pilose or puberulent, adaxially scabrous.

blades lanceolate to broadly ovate, base rounded to cordate, less often cuneate, margins dentate or serrate, apex acuminate;

cystoliths rounded.

spikelike, often leafy at apex.

axillary, spikelike or paniculate.

in remote or crowded clusters of 1-few staminate and several pistillate flowers or rarely staminate and pistillate flowers on different plants.

unisexual, staminate and pistillate flowers on same plant, rarely on different plants, in remote or crowded clusters in same or separate inflorescence;

bracts linear.

tepals 4;

stamens 4;

pistillode globose.

tepals 4, connate, adnate to ovary;

staminodes absent;

style persistent, elongate;

stigma linear, straight or hooked.

ovoid to nearly orbicular, 0.9-1.6 × 0.9-1.2 mm, almost glabrous or pubescent with straight and hooked hairs;

seeds prominent, conspicuous in outline, surrounded except at base by corky tissue.

sessile, laterally compressed, ovoid, nearly orbicular, or ellipsoid, tightly enclosed by persistent perianth.

= 14.

= 28.