Flora of North America species comparison

erect, 4-angled, rarely 4-winged, sometimes basally terete, 40–280 cm, simple to densely branched, branches often ascending, glabrous.

erect, ascending, decumbent, or prostrate, slightly ridged, well branched, 10–60(–75) cm, glabrous, with raised lines decurrent from leaf axils.

stipules deltate, 0.2–0.3 × 0.15–0.2 mm;

petiole 0.2–2.2 cm, somewhat flattened and continuous with ridges or wings on stem;

blade elliptic to narrowly lanceolate, 2–20 × 0.2–4 cm, base cuneate, margins minutely scabrid, apex acute or acuminate, membranous, surfaces glabrous or sometimes minutely strigillose along abaxial veins;

bracts often reduced.

alternate or proximal pairs opposite;

stipules narrowly ovate-deltate, 0.1–0.3 × 0.1–0.2 mm, succulent;

petiole winged, 0.2–1 cm, blade spatulate or oblanceolate to very narrowly oblanceolate or sublinear, 0.6–1.5(–2) × (0.1–)0.3–0.7(–1.1) cm, base attenuate, margins subentire with hydathodal glands, apex acute or mucronate;

bracts not much reduced.

leafy spikes, flowers solitary in distal axils;

bracteoles attached at base of ovary or on lower 1/2, without subtending glands, deltate, 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, apex acute.

open, leafy spikes or racemes, flowers solitary in leaf axils;

bracteoles attached in opposite pairs near base of ovary, lanceolate-elliptic, 0.9–1.5(–2.5) × 0.4–0.9 mm, swollen at base, apex acuminate.

sepals ovate or lanceolate, 3–6 × 1–2 mm, apex acute or short-acuminate, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes strigillose;

petals obovate, 3.5–5 × 2–2.5 mm;

stamens 8 in 2 subequal series, filaments 1.3–1.5 mm, anthers oblong, 0.6–1 × 0.4–0.5 mm;

ovary obconic, 4-angled, 4–10 × 2–4 mm, usually glabrous, rarely strigillose;

nectary disc plane on ovary apex, 3–4 mm diam., 4-lobed, glabrate;

style 0.5–1.5 × 0.5–0.6 mm, stigma globose, 0.8–1 × 1–1.2 mm, not exserted beyond anthers and pollen shed directly on it.

sepals ascending, creamy white near base adaxially, ovate-deltate, 1.2–1.8 × 1–2 mm, margins entire, apex narrowly acute or acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0 or very rare;

filaments nearly translucent, 0.5–0.8 mm, anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

pollen shed singly;

ovary obconic, subterete or scarcely 4-angled, 1.2–1.8 × 1.2–2 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.3–0.4 mm on ovary apex, green, 0.9–1.3 mm diam., distinctly 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale green, 0.4–0.6 mm, stigma pale yellow, subglobose, 0.2–0.3 × 0.2–0.3 mm, not exserted beyond anthers.

oblong-linear to squarish-cylindric, 4-angled, 10–22 × 2–4 mm, thin-walled, irregularly dehiscent, subsessile.

obconic, obscurely 4-angled, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–3 mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by loculicidal slits, pedicel 0–0.4 mm.

elongate-ovoid, 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm, raphevery reduced and inconspicuous.

light brown or brown, ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 × 0.3–0.4 mm, surface cells transversely elongate, glabrous, occasionally covered by minute waxy hairs.

= 16.

= 48.