Flora of North America species comparison

erect to ascending (often flexuous, weak, often tangled with desert shrubs), usually branched distally, 1–8 dm, glabrous or puberulent.

erect or ascending, usually unbranched, rarely branched, (hollow, strongly inflated, fusiform, to 3 cm diam. at widest point), 2–10 dm.

rosulate;

petiole 0.3–2.5 cm;

blade oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.7–6 cm × 2–27 mm, margins usually coarsely dentate or somewhat pinnatifid, rarely entire, (surfaces glabrous).

rosulate;

petiole 0.5–9 cm;

blade obovate to oblanceolate (in outline), 1–12 cm × 3–45 mm, margins entire, dentate-sinuate, lyrate, runcinate, or pinnatifid.

(median) sessile;

blade lanceolate or oblong, 1.5–7.5 cm × 5–20 mm (smaller distally, base amplexicaul to sagittate), margins dentate or entire, (surfaces glabrous).

(distalmost) shortly petiolate;

blade linear to narrowly oblanceolate, margins entire.

(lax), without a terminal cluster of sterile flowers.

(densely flowered), with a terminal cluster of sterile flowers.

sepals erect, (purplish or yellow-green), narrowly lanceolate, 3–6.5 × 0.8–1.5 mm (equal);

petals yellow-green to purplish (often with purple veins), 4.5–9 mm, blade 2–3 × 0.7–1.5 mm, not crisped, claw narrowly oblong-oblanceolate, 2.5–7 × 1–1.5 mm;

filaments slightly tetradynamous, median pairs 2–4.5 mm, lateral pair 1.5–3.5 mm;

anthers oblong, equal, 1.5–2 mm.

sepals erect (creamy white, purplish, or greenish), ovate to lanceolate, 7.5–14 × 2.5–4 mm (equal);

petals brown or purple, 10–15 mm, blade 3–5 × 1.2–2.5 mm, not or hardly crisped, claw oblanceolate, 7–10 × 2–2.5 mm;

filaments tetradynamous, median pairs 3–8 mm, lateral pair 2–7 mm;

anthers narrowly oblong, equal, 3–6.5 mm.

reflexed, 1–4.5 mm, usually glabrous, rarely puberulent.

ascending, 1–5 mm, glabrous or pubescent, (trichomes flattened).

usually reflexed, rarely divaricate (often subfalcate), terete, 2–6 cm × 1.5–2.5 mm;

valves each with prominent midvein, (glabrous or puberulent);

ovules 24–48 per ovary;

style 0.2–2.7 mm;

stigma slightly 2-lobed.

erect to ascending, terete or slightly latiseptate, 4.5–14 cm × 2–2.5 mm;

valves each with obscure midvein;

ovules 98–126 per ovary;

style obsolete or, rarely, to 0.6 mm;

stigma strongly 2-lobed (lobes to 1 mm, connivent, opposite valves).

1–2 × 1–1.2 mm.

1.5–4 × 1.5–2 mm.

= 28.

= 28.