Flora of North America species comparison

erect, (10–)20–40(–70) cm, glabrous to stipitate-glandular.

erect, 1–15(–20) cm, scabrid-puberulent.

basal leaves sparse or absent;

cauline leaves usually in 5–12+ pairs, not significantly reduced;

basal blades ascending to arcuate-spreading or recurved, needlelike or narrowly linear, (0.7–)2–6(–7) cm × 0.8–2 mm, ± rigid, herbaceous to subsucculent, apex blunt to spinose, glabrous, not glaucous.

basal leaves persistent;

cauline leaves in 1–4 pairs, usually little overlapping, often larger than basal leaves;

basal blades straight to arcuate-spreading, subulate to needlelike, 0.3–4 cm × 0.5–1.5 mm, flexible or rigid, herbaceous, apex spinose, glabrous, often glaucous.

3–20(–30)-flowered, ± compact cymes;

branches ascending to erect.

3–30+-flowered, congested, capitate or subcapitate cymes.

3–45 mm, glabrous or stipitate-glandular.

0.2–2 mm, scabrid-puberulent.

sepals 1–3-veined, ovate to lanceolate or elliptic, 4.5–7.2 mm, to 8 mm in fruit, margins narrow to broad, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous to sparsely stipitate-glandular;

petals white or yellowish, oblanceolate to spatulate, 6–11 mm, 1–2 times as long as sepals, apex entire or erose;

nectaries thickened, molarlike, apically 2-lobed, 1–1.5 mm, or narrowly longitudinally rectangular, truncate, 0.7–0.8 mm, densely minutely pubescent with erect to spreading hairs.

sepals 1–3-veined, often obscurely so, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, (5–)6–10 mm, not enlarging in fruit, margins narrow, apex narrowly acute or acuminate, glabrous or pubescent;

petals white, oblanceolate, 4.5–8.5 mm, ± equaling sepals, apex rounded to obtuse;

nectaries as lateral and abaxial mounds with transverse groove at base of filaments opposite sepals, 0.2–0.3 mm.

6–8 mm, glabrous.

to 4 mm, glabrous.

greenish or reddish brown to blackish, suborbicular to pyriform or ovoid, 1.3–3.2 mm, tuberculate, sometimes echinate on abaxial ridge;

tubercles low, rounded to conic.

black, ellipsoid-oblong to pyriform with hilar notch, 1.8–2 mm, tuberculate;

tubercles rounded, elongate.