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.

terete, 4.5–55 cm, simple or with proximal ascending branches and/or distal branches, ± densely villous and/or strigillose, mixed glandular puberulent distally or glabrescent.

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.

opposite only in proximal pairs, alternate and crowded distally, subsessile, blade narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, 1.2–5 × 0.2–1.2 cm, usually longer than internodes, base cuneate to attenuate, margins subentire or sparsely serrulate, 3–5 teeth per side, veins inconspicuous, 2–7 per side, apex acute, surfaces villous;

bracts same size and shape as leaves.

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

erect spikes, often congested proximally, sometimes nodding in bud, simple, or sometimes sparsely branched, ± densely mixed villous, strigillose, and glandular puberulent.

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, mostly chasmogamous, sometimes initiating at second or third proximal node;

buds 3–5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, apex blunt;

floral tube 1.5–3 × 1.1–2.8 mm, ring of lax hairs near base inside;

sepals erect, (1.5–)2–6.2 × (0.5–)1–2.2 mm, densely villous and glandular pubescent abaxially;

petals rose-purple, (2.8–)4.2–9.8 × (2.2–)3.5–5.3 mm, apical notch 1.2–3.5 mm;

filaments rose-purple, those of longer stamens 2.4–6.5 mm, those of shorter ones 0.9–4.3 mm;

anthers 0.6–1.6 × 0.2–0.8 mm;

ovary 3.5–9 mm, densely pubescent;

style pink, 3.3–9.2 mm, stigma 4-lobed, ± subentire in smaller flowers, 0.7–1.4 × 0.5–1.3 mm, usually surrounded by, rarely exserted beyond, longer anthers.

25–45 mm, surfaces canescent and glandular puberulent;

pedicel 6–25 mm.

narrowly fusiform, (10–)14–21 × 1–2.1 mm, beak 2–5 mm, ribs usually broad and prominent, septa and central column disintegrating with age, surfaces ± densely 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.

8–12 per capsule, initially in 4 locules, at maturity pushed into 2 rows proximally, 1 overlapping row distally, irregularly angular-fusiform, 1.8–2.3x 0.7–0.9 mm, chalazal collar absent, surface irregularly reticulate.

= 36.

= 20.