Flora of North America species comparison

prostrate or decumbent to erect, pubescent;

aerial flowering stems arising [at nodes of caudex branches, at distal nodes of aerial stems or] directly from the root, decumbent to erect, slender [to stout and solid, not disarticulating in ringlike segments], sometimes disarticulating at each node.

basal or nearly so;

petiole 1–2(–3) cm;

blade oblong or oblong-ovate to ovate, 0.3–1(–1.5) × 0.3–0.8(–1) cm, thinly pubescent adaxially, densely tomentose abaxially.

persistent or quickly deciduous, basal and rosulate or basal and cauline, alternate;

petiole present;

blade linear to oblanceolate or spatulate, entire apically.

mostly flat-topped and openly branched, usually reddish;

bracts persistent, 2, usually leaflike at proximal nodes and similar to proximal leaf blades only more reduced, short-petiolate, oblong-ovate to ovate, 0.3–0.8 cm × 2–6 mm, becoming sessile, reduced and scalelike at distal nodes, linear, acicular, often acerose, 0.1–0.4 cm × 0.5–1 mm, awns straight, 0.5–1 mm.

terminal, cymose or capitate, uniparous due to suppression of secondaries;

branches open and spreading or erect, typically trichotomously branched at proximal node, otherwise dichotomous, sometimes brittle and disarticulating into segments, round, pubescent [or rarely glabrous];

bracts mostly 2, opposite, sometimes numerous, whorled, distinct, leaflike to subulate or linear, occasionally awn-tipped, thinly pubescent (sometimes appressed), hirsute, villous, strigose, or tomentose, rarely woolly-floccose or minutely glandular.

absent.

in open clusters with 1 at node of dichotomies, reddish, cylindric, not ventricose, 3–4.5 mm, not corrugate, without scarious or membranous margins, thinly to densely pubescent;

teeth spreading, unequal, 0.7–1.5 mm, 3 longer ones more erect than 3 shorter and less-prominent ones;

awns uncinate, 0.5–1 mm.

1–6+ per node, 3–6-ribbed, tubular, cylindric to urceolate or turbinate to campanulate;

teeth 3, 5, or 6, awn-tipped.

long-exserted;

perianth rose to red, infrequently with white lobes, cylindric, 4.5–6 mm, pubescent;

tepals connate ca. 2/3 their length, monomorphic to slightly dimorphic, narrowly oblanceolate, rounded apically, those of outer whorl occasionally slightly broader and longer than those of inner whorl;

stamens 9, mostly included;

filaments distinct, 4–6 mm, glabrous;

anthers pink to red, oblong, 0.5–0.6 mm.

bisexual, 1(–2) per involucre, pedicellate;

perianth white to yellow or pink to rose-pink, red, maroon or purple, cylindric, funnelform, or campanulate when open, cylindric when closed, glabrous or pubescent abaxially;

tepals (5–)6, connate 2/3 their length, monomorphic or dimorphic, entire, emarginate, or lobed to laciniate apically;

stamens 3, 6, or 9, or variously 3–9;

filaments distinct or connate into staminal tube, sometimes adnate to floral tube, glabrous or pubescent;

anthers maroon to red or cream to white or yellow, oval to oblong;

styles erect to spreading.

brown, lenticular, 4–4.5 mm.

included, light brown to dark brown or black, not winged, lenticular, globose-lenticular, or 3-gonous, glabrous.

embryo straight or curved.

= 10.