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.

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 5–17 mm;

blade elliptic, ovate, or obovate, 6–15 × 3–9.5 cm, base broadly cuneate, apex short acuminate, abaxial surface pale green, appressed-hairy, tufts of erect hairs present in axils of secondary veins, adaxial surface yellow green, appressed-hairy;

secondary veins 4–6 per side, most arising from proximal 1/2.

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.

convex, 1.5–3 cm diam., 40–75-flowered, subtended by pair of reduced leaves and pair of cataphylls;

peduncle 40–60 mm;

petaloid bracts 4–6, surrounding but not enclosing inflorescence through winter, white or tinged with pink, rhombic to obovate, 2.5–7 × 1.7–6 cm, apex short acuminate.

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 appressed-hairy;

sepals 1–1.5 mm;

petals cream or yellow-green, rarely purple distally, 3–4 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.

red, closely appressed to each other, angular in cross section, 10–17 × 5–7.5 mm;

stone ellipsoid, 7–9 × 4–5 mm, smooth.

= 44.

= 22.