Flora of North America species comparison

± prostrate, radiating from plant base, sparsely branched, dark green, not noticeably slender, ultimate branches densely short-stipitate- to subsessile-glandular, glands globular (drying to cup-shaped), golden (making branches appear yellowish from a distance), 1 mm diam.;

older stems glabrate basally, not scabrous.

(1–)3-foliolate;

stipules straight, spreading to slightly reflexed, stout, linear-subulate, 3–16 mm, about as long as petioles, glandular to glabrate;

petiole 2–16 mm, glandular to glabrate;

leaflets ovate to elliptic, slightly obovate, or linear and terete, glandular, becoming glabrate, ± as long as or longer than petiole, apex spinulose, often fleeting, terminal to 26 × 10 mm, laterals to 20 × 7 mm, shorter and narrower than terminal, one or both commonly caducous.

opposite or fascicled [alternate or on short lateral branches], palmately or even- [odd-]pinnately compound [simple];

stipules present;

petiole present [absent];

blade often fleshy or coriaceous, margins entire;

venation pinnate.

pseudoaxillary [terminal], flowers solitary or in 2-flowered clusters [cymes].

1–7 mm, glandular.

to 1.5 cm diam.;

sepals green to purple, ovate-lanceolate, 2–4 × 1–1.5 mm, apiculate, glandular to glabrate;

petals light to dark red-purple, 5–8 × 2.5–5.5 mm;

stamen filaments 3.5–5 mm;

ovary 2 mm, glandular, hairy;

style 2–3 mm.

bisexual [unisexual], usually regular, sometimes slightly irregular;

perianth and androecium hypogynous;

hypanthium absent;

sepals 4–5, usually distinct, rarely connate basally;

petals 4–5, distinct [rarely connate basally], often clawed, sometimes twisted;

nectary usually present, extrastaminal and/or intrastaminal, rarely absent;

stamens [5–](8–)10 in 2 whorls, outer usually opposite petals, often alternately unequal in length or sterile, distinct, free or adnate to petal bases, inserted on or proximal to nectary, frequently glandular or appendaged at base;

anthers dehiscing by longitudinal slits;

pistil 1, (2–)5-carpellate, ovary superior, (2–)5–10-locular;

placentation axile [basal];

ovules (1–)2–10 per locule, anatropous;

style 1;

stigma 1.

capsules, dehiscence septicidal or loculicidal, or schizocarps splitting into 5 or 10 mericarps.

3.5–5.5 × 4–5 mm, puberulent, usually glandular;

style 1.5–4 mm, not or barely wider at base.

1–5(–10) per locule.

herbs or subshrubs, to 0.6 m, to 1 m diam.