Flora of North America species comparison

erect, 3–10(–15) cm, glabrous.

prostrate to ascending or erect, simple or branched.

basal leaves persistent;

cauline leaves in 6–10 pairs, closely overlapping, not reduced;

basal blades arcuate-spreading, needlelike, (0.6–)1–2 cm × ca. 1 mm, ± rigid, herbaceous, apex spinose, glabrous, not glaucous.

opposite, connate proximally or not, often petiolate (basal leaves), not stipulate;

blade subulate or linear to spatulate, lanceolate, or broadly ovate, seldom succulent.

3–45+-flowered, usually congested, subcapitate cymes.

terminal or axillary cymes, or flowers solitary;

bracts foliaceous or reduced, herbaceous to scarious (or rarely absent);

involucel bracteoles absent.

ca. 0.1–3(–4) mm, glabrous.

present or rarely flowers sessile.

sepals 1–3-veined, linear-lanceolate, (5–)8.5–12 mm, not enlarging in fruit, margins narrow, apex acuminate, glabrous;

petals white, oblong-lanceolate to narrowly spatulate, 7–9 mm, 0.8–1.1 times as long as sepals, apex rounded to blunt;

nectaries not apparent.

bisexual or seldom unisexual, sometimes inconspicuous;

perianth and androecium hypogynous or perigynous, often slightly;

hypanthium cup-, dish-, or disc-shaped;

sepals (4–)5, distinct or seldom connate basally, sometimes hooded, not awned;

petals absent or (1–)4–5, usually white, sometimes translucent, yellowish white, pink, or brownish, seldom clawed, auricles absent, coronal appendages absent, blade apex entire or 2-fid, sometimes jagged or emarginate, rarely laciniate;

stamens absent or (1–)5(–10), in 1 or 2 whorls, arising from base of ovary, a nectariferous disc, or sometimes the hypanthium or hypanthium rim;

staminodes absent or 1–5(–8);

ovary 1- or rarely 3-locular (Wilhelmsia);

styles (2–)3–5(–6), distinct;

stigmas (2–)3–5(–6).

capsules, or rarely utricles (Scleranthus), opening by (2–)3–6, occasionally 8 or 10 valves or (3 or) 6–10 teeth;

carpophore present or often absent.

2.3–3.3 mm, glabrous.

black, pyriform, 1.2–1.7 mm, tuberculate.

1–60+, yellowish or tan to dark red or often brown or black, usually reniform or triangular to circular and laterally compressed or ovoid to globose, rarely oblong and dorsiventrally compressed (Holosteum);

embryo usually peripheral and curved, rarely central and straight (Holosteum).

= 6–15, 17–19, 23.