Flora of North America species comparison

thin, close or becoming furrowed or broken into plates;

lenticels not conspicuous.;

bark and wood tanniferous.

ascending;

twigs glabrous to sparsely pubescent, sometimes with glandular hairs.

blade nearly orbiculate to narrowly ovate or ovate-oblong, often nearly angular and slightly lobulate near apex, 4–10 × 3.5–12 cm, thin to leathery, base narrowly cordate to narrowly rounded, margins coarsely and often irregularly doubly serrate, apex obtuse to acute or acuminate;

surfaces abaxially glabrous to moderately pubescent, usually pubescent on major veins and in vein axils.

2-ranked.

staminate catkins lateral along branchlets on short shoots, usually in clusters of 2–3, 4–6 × 0.5–0.8 cm;

peduncles 0.5–10 mm.

perianth absent.

2 per bract;

perianth adnate to ovary, often visible as membranaceous fringe at summit;

ovules with 2 integuments.

usually longer than 4 cm, consisting of relatively uncrowded clusters with large, nearly foliaceous bracts;

bracts deciduous with fruits.

tiny to moderately large nuts, not winged;

pericarp thick and bony.

buds containing inflorescences ovoid, 3–5 × 3–4 mm, acute.

in clusters of 2–6, completely concealed;

bracts bristly, connate at summit, lengthened into extended tubular beak.

and branches terete.

twigs and buds usually without prominent, large, resinous glands;

pith circular to remotely triangular in cross section.