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, branches at colony margin decumbent or trailing and rooting at the nodes, forming large thickets;

bark gray, flaky, not corky, appearing braided, splitting longitudinally;

branchlets brown, pink, or maroon, appressed-hairy;

lenticels inconspicuous, swelling but seldom protruding or extruding tissue on 2d year branches, periderm swelling around them and often over large contiguous areas;

pith brown.

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 3–7 mm;

blade lanceolate, elliptic, or obovate, 3–5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, base cuneate, apex abruptly acuminate or rounded, abaxial surface pale green, adaxial surface gray-green, both surfaces with hairs appressed, sparse;

secondary veins 3–4(–5) per side, evenly spaced, basal vein arising 5–10 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 or slightly convex, 2.5–4.5 cm diam., peduncle 10–20 mm;

branches and pedicels green or maroon.

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 0.4–0.8 mm;

petals cream, 3–5 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.

blue, bleaching white in direct sun, globose or subglobose, 6–9 mm diam.;

stone globose to subglobose, 4–6 mm diam., smooth, apex rounded.

= 44.

= 22.