Flora of North America species comparison

erect, spreading, or creeping, (much-branched);

twigs glabrous or hairy.

erect to decumbent, sprawling, creeping, trailing, prostrate, or procumbent.

persistent, whorled;

petiole present;

blade coriaceous, margins ciliate, prickled, or glabrous.

deciduous or persistent, usually alternate, sometimes opposite, whorled, or spirally arranged;

petiole usually present;

blade plane or acicular, abaxial groove present or absent.

terminal or axillary, umbels, racemes, or panicles, 10–30-flowered;

perulae absent; (bracteoles 2–3).

axillary or terminal, fascicles, racemes, panicles, capitula, cymes, umbels, corymbs, spikes, or solitary flowers;

perulae present or absent;

bracts much shorter than sepals (sometimes absent).

bisexual, radially symmetric;

sepals 4–5, distinct, (shorter than petals);

petals 4–5, connate nearly their entire lengths [connate ca. 1/2 their lengths], corolla persistent, campanulate;

stamens 10, included or exserted; (filaments glabrous);

anthers with or without awns, dehiscent through narrowly oblong, subterminal pores;

ovary pseudo-10-locular;

style (slender, straight), included or exserted, (glabrous);

stigma filiform, obconic, or capitate.

bisexual or unisexual, erect or pendulous, usually radially or bilaterally symmetric;

sepals (2-)4-5(-7);

petals absent or (2-)4-5(-7), connate or distinct, corolla deciduous or persistent, campanulate, salverform, rotate, saucer-shaped, funnelform, cylindric, or urceolate, (with pockets holding anthers until they open in some Kalmia), lobes shorter than tube;

intrastaminal nectary disc present;

stamens (2-)5-10;

anthers dehiscent by lateral pores or slits;

ovary (2-)5-10-locular;

placentation axile (parietal distally in Epigaea);

style straight or declinate (curved in Elliottia).

capsular [drupaceous], ellipsoid, dehiscence loculicidal [indehiscent].

capsular, dehiscence usually septicidal, sometimes loculicidal or septifragal, or drupaceous, (dry to fleshy), indehiscent.

ca. 10, ellipsoid to obovoid, not winged, not tailed;

testa reticulate or foveolate.

2-300, distinct, obovoid, ovoid, or ellipsoid to oblong, linear, fusiform, or planoconvex, winged or not.

= 12.