Flora of North America species comparison

erect or ascending at base, very rarely prostrate, unbranched to well branched, branches sometimes very slender, 15–75 cm, glabrous, with slightly raised lines decurrent from leaf axils.

erect, slightly ridged, unbranched or slightly branched, (16–)30–90 cm, glabrous or strigillose to hirtellous, especially on distal parts.

alternate;

stipules reddish purple, narrowly ovate, 0.2–0.3 × 0.1–0.3 mm, succulent;

petiole winged, 0.3–1.2 cm, blade usually oblanceolate-spatulate to spatulate or oblanceolate, rarely sublinear, 1–2.5(–3) × 0.1–0.8 cm, base attenuate, margins subentire with hydathodal glands, apex acute or mucronate, surfaces glabrous;

bracts not reduced.

alternate;

stipules deltate, 0.25–0.45 × 0.15–0.4 mm;

rhizomes: sessile, blades minute, appressed, and scalelike, oblate or suborbiculate, 0.3–0.6 × 0.6–0.9 mm;

stolons: petiole 0.1–0.6 cm, blade oblong or oblanceolate-elliptic to spatulate, 0.4–3.5 × 0.2–1.5 cm;

main stem: sessile, blade lanceolate-elliptic or lanceolate-linear to linear, 2.5–9.5 × (0.1–)0.3–0.9 cm, proximal ones shorter and often oblong or oblong-lanceolate, base rounded or obtuse, margins entire with obscure hydathodal glands, apex acuminate to acute, surfaces glabrous or, sometimes, pilose on proximal blades;

bracts very reduced.

usually not congested, leafy racemes or spikes, flowers solitary in leaf axils;

bracteoles attached in opposite pairs near base of ovary, narrowly lanceolate, lanceolate-elliptic, or oblong-linear, 1.5–3.5(–4) × 0.4–0.8 mm, swollen at base, apex acuminate.

densely clustered, terminal racemes or spikes, 1–5(–12) cm;

bracteoles attached at base of ovary or on pedicel distally, narrowly lanceolate, 3.5–5(–6) × (1.2–)1.4–2 mm, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes pilose abaxially.

sepals ascending, green fading to white near base, ovate-deltate, 1.5–3 × 1.2–2 mm, margins entire, apex narrowly acute or acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0(–3), narrowly elliptic or spatulate, 1–2.5 × 0.5–1 mm, base attenuate, apex obtuse;

filaments pale yellow, 0.8–1(–1.3) mm, anthers 0.3–0.6 × 0.3–0.5 mm;

pollen shed singly;

ovary obovate-obpyramidal, 2–2.5 × 1.8–2.3 mm, glabrous;

nectary disc elevated 0.3–0.4 mm on ovary apex, green, 0.9–1.6 mm diam., prominently 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale green, 0.4–0.7 mm, glabrous, stigma pale yellow, subglobose, 0.3–0.4 × 0.2–0.4 mm, not exserted beyond anthers.

sepals ascending, pale green or white adaxially, broadly ovate-deltate, 2.3–3.5(–4) × 2.3–3.2(–3.8) mm, margins entire, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0;

filaments yellow or cream, 1.2–2 mm, distinctly dilated toward base, anthers 0.7–1(–1.3) × 0.5–0.7 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary broadly obovoid or cup-shaped, 2.2–3 × 2.3–3.3 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.5–0.6 mm on ovary apex, pale yellow, 1.8–3.1 mm diam., obscurely 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale yellow, 0.9–1.7 mm, glabrous, stigma pale green to white, globose to capitate, 0.4–0.8 × 0.5–0.8 mm, distinctly 4-lobed, not exserted beyond anthers.

obconic, obscurely 4-angled, (2–)2.5–4(–4.7) × 2–3(–3.5) mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by loculicidal slits, pedicel 0.1–0.5 mm.

broadly obpyramidal, angles rounded, sometimes subspherical, 2.5–4.3 ×2.5–4.5(–5) mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by apical ring, pedicel 0.5–1.5(–2) mm.

light brown, ellipsoid, 0.4–0.6 × 0.3–0.4 mm, surface cells transversely elongate, glabrous or, sometimes, with surface wax that mimics appressed hairs.

brown, elliptic-oblong, curved on both ends, 0.5–0.6 × 0.2–0.3 mm, surface cells ± isodiametric.

= 64.

= 32.