Flora of North America species comparison

erect or ascending, slightly ridged, usually well branched, 12–55(–62) cm, glabrous.

prostrate, ascending to suberect at tips, terete, sparsely branched, 30–80 cm, glabrous or, sometimes, minutely strigillose on leaf margins and inflorescence.

alternate;

stipules narrowly ovate to narrowly lanceolate, 0.2–0.3 × 0.1–0.2 mm;

stolons: petiole narrowly attenuate, 0.05–0.5 cm, blade narrowly obovate or oblanceolate to spatulate, 0.5–2 × 0.1–0.6 cm;

stems: sessile, blade linear to linear-oblanceolate, 1.5–4 × 0.1–0.4(–0.6) cm, base very narrowly cuneate, margins entire with obscure hydathodal glands, apex acuminate to acute;

bracts linear, reduced.

opposite;

stipules narrowly deltate, 0.05–0.1 × 0.05–0.1 mm;

petiole narrowly winged, 0.3–2.3 cm, blade narrowly elliptic to broadly lanceolate-elliptic or suborbiculate, 0.8–4.5 × 0.4–2.7 cm, base attenuate, margins entire or sometimes with hydathodal glands, apex acute or apiculate, rarely obtuse, surfaces lustrous, subglabrous or sparingly to densely papillose strigillose;

bracts not much reduced.

leafy spikes, flowers solitary in leaf axils;

bracteoles attached 0–1.5 mm distal to base of ovary, very narrowly oblanceolate to linear, (1.5–)2.5–9(–13) × 0.2–0.8 mm, margins entire, apex acute.

sometimes few-flowered, erect racemes, flowers paired in leaf axils of prostrate stems;

bracteoles attached in opposite pairs to pedicel 1–5 mm proximal to base of ovary, lanceolate to narrowly oblong-lanceolate or sublinear, 1–5(–8) × 0.2–1 mm, apex acute, surfaces sparingly minutely strigillose.

sepals ascending, green, narrowly lanceolate-deltate, (3–)4–7 × 1.1–1.7 mm, margins entire, apex narrowly acute, surfaces glabrous or minutely papillose;

petals narrowly obovate-elliptic, 4–6 × 2–4 mm, base obtuse, apex obtuse or rounded;

filaments pale yellow, (1.3–)1.5–2.5(–3) mm, anthers oblong, 0.6–1.1 × 0.5–0.8 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary subcylindric, 3–4 × 1–1.5 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.3–0.7 mm on ovary apex, bright yellow, 0.8–1.5 mm diam., prominently 4-lobed, minutely papillose;

style yellow, 1.25–2.5 mm, glabrous, stigma subcapitate, 0.3–0.6 × 0.6–0.8 mm, shallowly 4-lobed, not exserted beyond anthers.

sepals ascending, light green, ovate deltate to narrowly so, 1.8–5 × 1.5–3.5 mm, margins minutely strigillose, apex acuminate to elongate-acuminate, surfaces subglabrous;

petals caducous, oblanceolate to elliptic-oblong, 1.1–3 × 0.4–1.4 mm, base attenuate, apex obtuse, often variable in size and shape in same flower;

filaments pale yellow, 0.5–1.5 mm, slightly inflated near base, anthers 0.4–0.9 × 0.3–0.8 mm;

pollen shed singly or in tetrads;

ovary obconic-cylindric, barely 4-angled to subterete, 2–6 × 2.5–3.5 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.3–0.8 mm on ovary apex, yellow, 1.1–3 mm diam., 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale yellow, 0.6–0.9 mm, glabrous, stigma pale yellow, broadly capitate, 0.3–0.5 × 0.3–0.8 mm, usually not exserted beyond anthers.

subcylindric, terete or slightly angled, 5–10(–12) ×1.3–2(–2.2) mm, hard-walled, irregularly dehiscent, pedicel 0 mm.

elongate-obpyramidal, 4-angled, corners sometimes rounded, 4–10 × 2.5–4 mm, hard-walled, irregularly dehiscent, pedicel 0.1–3 mm.

reddish brown, oblong-elliptic, 0.6–0.7 × 0.2–0.3 mm, surface cells nearly isodiametric.

yellowish brown, ellipsoid, 0.6–0.8 × 0.3–0.5 mm, surface cells transversely elongate.

= 16.

= 48.