Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green, 6–22 cm, appressed-hairy;

nodes 4–6, internodes progressively longer distally;

branches only at distalmost node, much shorter than distal internodes so stems appear unbranched.

clustered;

bark gray-brown, becoming gray-black, corky, appearing braided, splitting longitudinally, checkered;

branchlets deep red, often pale green abaxially, or completely green or bronze if shaded, 2 proximal internodes densely pubescent, distal internodes sparsely appressed-hairy;

lenticels pale circular spots on new growth, usually more common on distal portion of internodes, often overlapping, localized to form longitudinal bands, splitting periderm but not protruding or extruding tissue on 2d year branches, periderm swelling around them and usually over large contiguous areas;

pith white in 1st year branches, tan in older branches.

at proximal 2–4 nodes nonchlorophyllous, opposite, ± scalelike, caducous (rarely chlorophyllous at 3d node from apex but much smaller than more distal leaves), at 2d node from apex nonchlorophyllous proximally, chlorophyllous distally, opposite, well developed, persistent, at distalmost node chlorophyllous, appearing to be in whorl of 6, well developed, persistent;

distalmost leaves much bigger than those at 2 more proximal nodes;

petiole 0–3.4 mm;

blade ovate to elliptic, 3.5–8 × 0.9–4 cm, apex acute or short acuminate, abaxial surface pale green, hairs sparsely appressed-hairy, adaxial surface green, appressed-hairy;

secondary veins 3 per side, all arising from proximal 1/2.

petiole 5–16 mm;

blade lanceolate, elliptic, or oblanceolate, 3.5–11 × 1–6 cm, base cuneate to rounded, apex abruptly acuminate to an obtuse tip, abaxial surface pale green, adaxial surface dark green, midvein turning red or maroon, both surfaces with hairs appressed, sparse, glabrate by late summer;

secondary veins 3–4 per side, evenly spaced, basal vein arising 1–2 mm from blade base.

20–40-flowered;

peduncle 13–30 mm;

primary branches 0–2 mm;

bracts greenish white or white, often red-tipped, unequal, 2 ovate, 21–30 × 12–13 mm, 2 suborbiculate, 17–1.9 × 13–16 mm, apex acuminate.

flat-topped, convex, or pyramidal, 2–8 cm diam., peduncle 15–45 mm;

branches and pedicels greenish yellow, turning red in fruit.

0.4–1.6 mm, sparsely appressed-hairy or glabrous.

hypanthium cream to mottled purple, 1.2–2 mm, densely appressed-hairy;

sepals mottled purple and cream, 0.1–0.4 mm, apex rounded or acute, thick, sparsely hairy on margin, densely glandular;

petals cream proximally, purple distally, 1.5–1.8 mm, apical awn 0.4–0.6 mm;

nectary dark purple or black.

hypanthium densely appressed-hairy;

sepals 0.4–1 mm;

petals cream, 2.6–3.8 mm.

10–20 per inflorescence, red, globose, 6–8 mm;

stone globose or subglobose, 2.7–3.4 × 2.1–3.4 mm, longitudinally grooved, apex slightly pointed.

pale blue, violet plumbeous, or blue violet, often turning whitish blue to white, globose or oblate-ellipsoid, 5–6 × 6–10 mm;

stone globose to oblong, 3–3.7 × 3.7–5 mm, slightly ribbed, apex rounded.

= 44.