Flora of North America species comparison

erect to ascending, often clumped, terete, 25–120(–250) cm, unusually thick, 3–9 mm diam., well branched mainly in distal 1/2, densely long-villous throughout, usually mixed glandular puberulent distally, rarely sparsely villous or densely white-tomentose.

erect, terete, (1–)4–65 cm, usually with several erect or ascending virgate branches proximally or simple, densely villous, sometimes mixed strigillose, or sometimes subglabrous.

opposite proximal to inflorescence, alternate distally, sessile and ± clasping stem;

blade elliptic-lanceolate to narrowly obovate or elliptic, 4–12(–23) × 0.3–4(–5) cm, base cuneate to attenuate, margins serrulate, 15–50 teeth per side, veins 6–9 per side, apex acute to acuminate or obtuse proximally, surfaces ± densely villous;

bracts moderately reduced.

opposite only in proximal pairs, distally alternate, subsessile, blade linear-lanceolate to very narrowly elliptic, 0.5–4.5 × 0.2–0.3(–0.6) cm, usually longer than internodes, base cuneate, margins subentire to sparsely serrulate, 2–5 low teeth per side, lateral veins obscure, 2–5 per side, apex acute, surfaces subglabrous proximally to densely villous and/or strigillose distally;

bracts slightly reduced.

erect racemes or panicles, usually densely villous and glandular puberulent, rarely tomentose.

erect spikes, simple or sparsely branched, ± densely villous and/or strigillose.

erect;

buds 5–9 × 1.8–4.5 mm, sometimes beaked;

pedicel 3–11 mm;

floral tube 1.3–2.9 × 2.2–4 mm, conspicuous ring of spreading hairs near mouth inside;

sepals oblong-linear, often keeled, 6–12 × 1–3 mm, abaxial surface densely pubescent;

petals bright pink to rose-purple, rarely white, broadly obcordate, 9–20 × 7–15 mm, apical notch 1–3 mm;

filaments white or pink, those of longer stamens 5–10 mm, those of shorter ones 2.5–6 mm;

anthers cream, 1.5–3 × 0.6–1.2 mm;

ovary 15–34 mm, densely villous and glandular puberulent;

style white or pink, 5–12 mm, usually glabrous, stigma deeply 4-lobed, 1.8–2.2 × 3–5.5 mm, lobes recurved or spreading, exserted beyond anthers.

erect, often initiating in most proximal nodes, usually cleistogamous;

buds 0.8–1.5 × 0.5–1 mm;

floral tube 0.4–1 × 0.6–1.2 mm, ring of lax hairs near base inside;

sepals 0.7–2 × 0.4–0.8 mm;

petals pink with darker veins or white, 1.2–3.2 × 0.9–1.8 mm, apical notch 0.4–1 mm;

filaments pale pink, those of longer stamens 0.4–1.8 mm, those of shorter ones 0.3–1 mm;

anthers 0.3–0.6 × 0.3–0.4 mm, apiculate;

ovary 3–6 mm, densely pubescent;

style pale pink, 1.2–2.8 mm, stigma clavate to subcapitate or irregularly 4-lobed, 0.5–1.2 ×0.3–0.6 mm, surrounded by longer anthers.

often flushed purple, 25–90 mm, surfaces usually densely villous and glandular puberulent, rarely glabrescent;

pedicel 5–20 mm.

cylindrical to subfusiform, terete to slightly 4-angled, (6–)8–14 × 1.1–2 mm, beak 2–3 mm, central column disintegrating, villous;

sessile.

narrowly obovoid, 0.8–1.2 × 0.3–0.6 mm, chalazal collar inconspicuous, dark brown, surface coarsely papillose;

coma easily detached, tawny or dull white, 7–10 mm.

3–6 per locule, irregularly angular-oblong or fusiform, 0.9–1.6 × 0.4–0.9 mm, chalazal collar absent, brown, surface irregularly reticulate.

= 36.

= 18.