Flora of North America species comparison

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

usually in whorls of 3, rarely alternate or opposite;

petiole 6–16 mm, usually puberulent;

blade oblong to elliptic-lanceolate, 1.5–8 × 0.5–2.5 cm, margins usually plane, apex obtuse to acute, usually apiculate, abaxial surface glabrous or puberulent, sometimes stipitate-glandular, adaxial lightly puberulent (hairs white, to 0.1 mm), sometimes glabrescent, midrib puberulent.

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

petiole usually present;

blade plane or acicular, abaxial groove present or absent.

axillary near distal end, corymbiform racemes, 4–12-flowered.

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).

5–20 mm.

sepals usually green, sometimes reddish apically or throughout, ovate, 2–2.8 mm, apex usually acuminate, surfaces puberulent;

petals connate nearly their entire lengths, usually reddish purple to pink, rarely white or bluish pink, usually deeper colored near anther pockets and with ring of red to purple spots just proximal to pockets, 7.5–9.5 × 6–13 mm, abaxial surface puberulent, adaxial glabrous, puberulent toward base;

filaments 2.5–3.5 mm;

style 3.5–4.5 mm.

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

5-locular, 2–3.5 × 3–5 mm, puberulent, stipitate-glandular.

winged, obovoid, 0.6–1 mm.

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

= 24.