Flora of North America species comparison

erect or ascending, terete, 4–150 cm, simple or branched with strong central axis, proximal branches ascending or suberect, villous or strigillose, often mixed glandular puberulent distally.

terete, 1.5–32 cm, simple or often with sprawling, stout, prostrate proximal branches, proximally glabrous, often distally spreading-hairy and ± glandular puberulent.

opposite and often early-deciduous proximally, alternate and crowded distally, usually subsessile, rarely petiole 1–2 mm, blade usually narrowly lanceolate to sublinear, rarely to lanceolate, 1.4–7.5(–9.2) × 0.5–1.4 cm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins remotely to sharply serrulate, 5–12 teeth per side, lateral veins obscure, 2–5 per side, apex acute, surfaces densely villous and/or strigillose;

bracts broader than cauline leaves, broadly lanceolate to ovate or subrotund, 0.5–2.5 × 0.3–1.8 cm, long-acuminate, sometimes folded on midrib.

subsessile, blade grayish green, linear to narrowly elliptic, proximally broader and surfaces subglabrous, distally narrower and surfaces densely villous, especially on margins and midrib, often folded along midrib, usually early-withering, 1.5–5.5 × 0.2–0.6 cm, base cuneate, margins serrulate, 5–18 low teeth per side, lateral veins obscure, 1–4 per side, apex acute;

bracts scarcely reduced.

erect spikes, congested, simple, densely villous and strigillose, sometimes mixed glandular puberulent.

erect spikes, leafy, densely villous and glandular puberulent, first flowers at most proximal nodes.

erect, often hidden within subtending bracts, usually chasmogamous;

buds sessile, narrowly elongate, 2–4 mm;

floral tube 1.3–3.8 × 1–2.2 mm, ring of hairs 0.6–2 mm distal to base inside;

sepals 2–7.5 × 0.5–2.2 mm, apex acute;

petals rose-purple, magenta, pink, or white, 3–9.5(–11.5) × 1.2–5(–6.2) mm, apical notch 0.8–3.8 mm;

filaments dark pink, those of longer stamens 1.5–4.5 mm, those of shorter ones 0.5–1.9 mm;

anthers yellow, 0.5–1.2 × 0.3–0.7 mm;

ovary 2–5 mm, densely villous, often mixed glandular puberulent;

style white, 2.2–5.5(–7.5) mm, glabrous, stigma subcapitate to irregularly 4-lobed, 0.3–0.8 × 0.3–1 mm, surrounded by longer anthers.

± cleistogamous, suberect, often hidden by subtending bracts;

buds 2–4 × 1–1.5 mm, apiculate;

floral tube 0.5–1 × 0.4–1 mm, raised ring of lax hairs near mouth inside;

sepals pale green or reddish green, not keeled, 1.5–3 × 0.6–1.2 mm, apex acute, abaxial surface villous and glandular puberulent;

petals white to pale pink, 2–5.8 × 0.8–1.8 mm, apical notch 0.5–1.5 mm;

filaments light pink, those of longer stamens 0.6–1.6 mm, those of shorter ones 0.5–0.8 mm;

anthers light yellow, 0.4–0.5 × 0.3–0.5 mm;

ovary 8–11 mm, densely villous and glandular puberulent;

style light pink, 1.4–2.4 mm, stigma capitate, ± 4-lobed to subentire, 0.5–0.9 × 0.4–0.8 mm, surrounded by longer anthers.

cylindrical to subfusiform, 4–11 mm, beak to 0.5 mm, central column persistent, surfaces densely villous;

subsessile or pedicel 1–2.5 mm.

narrowly cylindrical, often curved-ascending, sharply 4-angled with 4 strong ribs, 8–12 mm, beak 1.5–3 mm, tardily dehiscent on distal 1/3, central axis disintegrating, sparsely villous and glandular puberulent;

sessile.

3–8 per locule, irregularly angular-fusiform, 1.2–1.6(–1.9) × 0.4–1 mm, without a chalazal collar, light brown, surface irregularly reticulate with raised cells.

10–14 per tightly packed row, irregularly angular to fusiform, 1.2–1.5 ×0.4–0.6 mm, chalazal collar absent, surface irregularly reticulate.

= 20.

= 30.