Flora of North America species comparison

several to many, erect to ascending, loosely clumped, terete, 10–25 cm, rarely branched distal to base, usually short-villous and strigillose throughout, mixed sparsely glandular puberulent distally, rarely subglabrous proximal to inflorescence.

usually suberect, rarely matted, terete, 1.5–50 cm, often with sprawling, decumbent proximal branches, rarely simple, glabrous proximally or throughout, sometimes ± densely strigillose and/or villous distally.

opposite proximal to inflorescence, alternate and usually crowded distally, sessile;

blade gray-green, narrowly to broadly ovate, 1.3–2.6 × 0.8–2 cm, base rounded to subcordate, margins usually serrulate, 6–12 teeth per side, rarely subentire, veins inconspicuous, 3–5 per side, apex rounded proximally to acute distally, surfaces sparsely short-villous to subglabrous and glaucous;

bracts much reduced.

crowded, subsessile, blade lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate or oblong, 0.8–3.5 × 0.2–0.6(–1) cm, longer than subtending internodes, base cuneate, margins evenly serrulate, 4–7 teeth per side, lateral veins obscure, 2–5 per side, apex acute, surfaces strigillose and ± villous, at least along veins and margins;

bracts not much reduced.

erect, compact racemes, densely canescent and glandular puberulent, or subglabrous, only ovaries pubescent.

erect spikes, congested, unbranched, densely strigillose and ± villous or subglabrous.

erect;

buds often purplish green, 9–11 × 3.5–5 mm, blunt;

pedicel 6–12 mm;

floral tube 2.1–4 × 2.9–5 mm, prominent ring of tissue 0.3–0.6 mm wide, edged by spreading hairs, 0.9–1.8 mm from base of tube inside;

sepals purplish green, 5–10.5 × 2–3.5 mm, apex acute;

petals pink to rose-purple, obcordate, 10–22.5 × 9.5–15.5 mm, apical notch 2–6.5 mm;

filaments cream, those of longer stamens 6.5–14 mm, those of shorter ones 3.5–11 mm;

anthers cream 1.9–3.3 × 0.7–1.2 mm;

ovary 12–22 mm, ± densely canescent and glandular puberulent;

style white to light pink, 10.5–18 mm, sparsely villous just proximal to stigma, stigma broadly 4-lobed, 1–1.8 × 2.4–4.2 mm, exserted beyond anthers.

erect, often hidden by subtending bracts, often cleistogamous;

buds 1.2–2 × 0.7–1.1 mm;

floral tube 0.3–1.1 × 0.2–0.8 mm, raised ciliate ring proximal to mouth inside;

sepals reddish green, 0.7–1.9 × 0.6–1.2 mm;

petals pale pink, fading purplish rose, 0.9–3.5 × 0.7–0.9 mm, apical notch 0.3–1.3 mm;

filaments light pink, those of longer stamens 0.5–1.5 mm, those of shorter ones 0.4–0.9 mm;

anthers pale yellow, 0.4–0.8 × 0.3–0.5 mm;

ovary 3–5 mm, usually densely villous;

style pale pink, 0.6–1.8 mm, stigma clavate, irregularly 4-lobed to subentire, 0.5–1 × 0.2–0.6 mm, surrounded by longer anthers.

25–45 mm, surfaces canescent and glandular puberulent;

pedicel 6–25 mm.

cylindrical to subfusiform, ± terete, 4.5–8 mm, beak 0.8–1 mm, usually dehiscing on distal 1/3, sometimes tardily splitting to base, central axis prematurely disintegrating, villous;

subsessile.

narrowly obovoid, 1.4–1.9 × 0.6–0.7 mm, with low, obscure chalazal collar, light brown, surface papillose;

coma easily detached, somewhat tawny, 4–8 mm.

7–14 per tightly packed row, irregularly angular-fusiform, 1–1.3 × 0.4–0.6 mm, chalazal collar absent, surface irregularly reticulate.

= 36.

= 30.