Flora of North America species comparison

1, branching at various levels in larger plants.

basal often withered at flowering time, cauline spreading;

basal blades spatulate-obovate to oblanceolate or elliptic-oblong, 3–15 × 1–3 mm;

cauline blades narrowly elliptic-oblong to oblanceolate, 3.5–7 × 0.5–2 mm, base connate-sheathing 0.5 mm, apex obtuse to subacute.

cauline, often also basal, opposite, whorled, or rarely alternate, sessile or petiolate, simple;

stipules absent [rarely present as ocreae];

blade margins entire.

1–5-flowered;

pedicels 3–60 mm.

cymes (sometimes racemoid, spicoid, or capitate), thyrses, or verticillasters, or solitary flowers;

flowers pedicellate or sessile.

calyx hemispheric, 2–7 mm, much exceeding corolla tube in diam., outer lobes proximally rhombic, distal portion triangular, apex acute, inner lobes proximally oblong, distal portion with strongly invaginated flanges, abruptly narrowed into ovate-triangular, cucullate, acuminate apex;

corolla 3–10 mm, lobes ovate-triangular to ovate-elliptic, 1–4 mm, apex rounded or abruptly acute.

bisexual or occasionally some unisexual [all unisexual on some or all plants], homostylous [heterostylous], protandrous and outbreeding or less often homogamous and autogamous, radially [somewhat bilaterally] symmetric, 4–12(–14)-merous [rarely 3-, 6-, or 16-merous] except for carpels;

perianth hypogynous, calyx and usually corolla persistent;

calyx green or occasionally ± hyaline (absent in Obolaria), sepals connate or some [or all] nearly distinct, lobes imbricate in bud, often ± unequal, colleters often present adaxially near base;

corolla petaloid, petals connate, lobes contorted in bud or rarely imbricate (Obolaria, Voyria), spurs present only in Halenia, 1 per petal;

stamens epipetalous, isomerous and alternate with petals, all fertile [rarely some sterile], equal [unequal];

filaments free or connected by a corona;

anthers 2-locular, dehiscing longitudinally [with terminal pores], remaining straight, recurving, or coiling helically or circinately, distinct or (only in some spp.

capsular, dehiscence septicidal or rarely rupturing irregularly (Obolaria) [indehiscent capsules, berries].

few–very many, usually sessile;

endosperm abundant and embryo small in autotrophic species, endosperm scant and embryo undifferentiated in completely mycotrophic species (Voyria).

Gentiana) coherent;

pistil 1, 2-carpellate;

ovary 1[or 2]-locular;

placentae 2, parietal [axile];

style present or absent, erect or initially deflexed to one side [declinate], uncleft, shallowly 2-cleft, or deeply cleft (Sabatia);

stigmas 1 or 2, coiling only in Sabatia, decurrent on ovary (only in Lomatogonium, sometimes slightly so in Bartonia).

 = 26.