Flora of North America species comparison

erect to spreading, terete or sometimes ridged, 60–250(–400) cm, densely branched, densely villous to glabrate, especially near base.

erect or somewhat sprawling, slightly to distinctly winged (wings to 1.8 mm wide), branched distally, 40–120(–160) cm, glabrous.

stipules deltate, 0.5–0.8 × 0.6–0.7 mm, fleshy;

petiole 0–1 cm;

blade linear to oblong or oblanceolate, sometimes narrowly ovate, 0.7–14.5 × 0.1–4 cm, base tapered, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, surfaces ± densely villous or strigillose;

bracts not or scarcely reduced.

alternate;

stipules ovate-deltate, often narrowly so, 0.2–0.4 × 0.1–0.3 mm, succulent;

stolons: petiole 0.15–1 cm, blades orbiculate to oblanceolate or broadly elliptic, 0.4–2.6 × 0.4–1.5 cm, base attenuate, apex rounded to subacute;

stems: petiole 0–0.3 cm, blade lanceolate-elliptic or very narrowly elliptic to linear, sometimes to oblanceolate or oblanceolate-elliptic near base, 1.8–10 × 0.2–1.3(–2) cm, base narrowly cuneate or attenuate, margins subentire with remote hydathodal glands, rarely minutely papillose-serrulate near apex, apex acute to narrowly acute, leaves on side branches much reduced;

bracts much reduced.

open, leafy racemes, flowers solitary in axils, presentation often radial;

bracteoles ovate, 3–8 × 1.4–4 mm, apex acuminate, attached near base of ovary.

sometimes congested, leafy spikes or racemes, flowers solitary in distal leaf axils;

bracteoles attached near base of ovary, lanceolate-elliptic or narrowly so, 2.4–4.7 × 0.6–1.5 mm, margins minutely papillose or smooth, apex acute, surfaces glabrous.

sepals lanceolate to ovate, (6–)8–13 × 3–7 mm, apex acuminate, surfaces strigillose adaxially;

petals bright yellow, fan-shaped, (5–)10–20 × 5–20 mm, apex sometimes shallowly notched;

stamens 8 in 2 subequal series, yellowish white, filaments spreading, 4–6 mm, anthers oblong, 2.5–5 × 1–2 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads or sometimes polyads;

ovary cylindric, 4-angled, sometimes slightly twisted, 8–22 × 1–3 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.4–0.5 mm on ovary apex, 1–2.4 mm diam., with 4 white-pubescent sunken lobes opposite petals;

style 2.5–3.5 mm, stigma capitate-globose, 1.8–3.5 × 2.5–3.5 mm, surrounded by anthers and pollen shed directly on it.

sepals spreading to reflexed, creamy white adaxially, broadly ovate-deltate, 2–4 × 1.6–4 mm, margins smooth or minutely papillose-serrulate, apex acute or acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0;

filaments nearly translucent, 1.1–1.7 mm, slightly dilated near base, anthers 0.5–0.9 × 0.4–0.7 mm;

pollen shed singly;

ovary obpyramidal, sharply 4-angled, 2–3.8 × 2–3.5 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.5–0.8 mm on ovary apex, bright yellow, square with rounded corners, 2–3.3 mm diam., prominently 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale green, 0.8–1.3 mm, glabrous, stigma pale yellow, subglobose, 0.3–0.6 × 0.3–0.7 mm, shallowly 4-lobed on top, not exserted beyond anthers.

cylindric to clavate-cylindric, subterete to ± 4-angled, 17–50 × 2.5–8 mm, thin-walled, irregularly dehiscent by 4–8 linear valves splitting from apex, short-villous, pedicel 5–25 mm.

obpyramidal, sharply 4-angled and 4-winged, 3–5 × 2.8–4.5 mm, with hard walls somewhat bulging, dehiscent by apical ring, pedicel 0–0.8 mm.

in several indistinct rows per locule, broad-cylindric with rounded ends, 0.6–0.9 × 0.5–0.8 mm, raphe inflated and nearly equal to seed body.

light brown, ellipsoid, slightly curved on both ends, 0.6–0.7 × 0.3–0.4 mm, surface cells elongate transversely to seed length.

= [16], 32, 48.

= 48.