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, slightly ridged, usually well branched, 10–80(–100) cm, glabrate or often with strigillose raised lines decurrent from leaf axils.

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-triangular, 0.15–0.35 × 0.05–0.25 mm, succulent;

stolons: petiole attenuate, 0.3–1 cm, blade narrowly elliptic, 1.5–3.5(–5.5) × 0.5–1.3(–2) cm;

main stem: petiole 0–1.5 cm, blade usually narrowly elliptic to elliptic, sometimes linear, 3–12 × 0.3–2.1 cm, base attenuate, margins subentire with hydathodal glands often visible, apex acute to very narrowly acute, surfaces densely papillose-strigillose, abaxial veins glabrous or sparingly, minutely strigillose;

leaves on side branches usually reduced, 0.8–4.5 ×0.2–1 cm;

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.

open, leafy racemes or spikes, flowers solitary in axils, often congested, especially on branches;

bracteoles attached on pedicel at base of ovary or to 2 mm distal to base, narrowly lanceolate to sublinear, 0.4–1 × 0.1–0.4 mm, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrate.

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 ascending, light green, ovate-deltate, 1.1–2.3 × 1–1.8 mm, margins entire, fringed with minute, strigillose hairs, apex short-acuminate or acute, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0;

filaments nearly translucent, 0.6–1.1 mm, anthers 0.3–0.5 × 0.3–0.6 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary subcylindric, 2–5 × 0.8–1.9 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.3–0.4 mm on ovary apex, light green, 0.6–1.8 mm diam., 4-lobed, glabrous or minutely papillose;

style pale green, 0.3–0.8 mm, glabrous, stigma broadly clavate to subglobose, 0.2–0.5 × 0.2–0.5 mm, 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.

subcylindric, subterete to obscurely 4-angled with 4 shallow grooves, 2–8(–9) × 1.3–2(–3) mm, hard-walled, irregularly dehiscent, pedicel 0–0.3(–0.5) 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, kidney-shaped with slightly pointed ends, 0.5–0.8 × 0.3–0.4 mm, surface cells columnar, elongate either parallel or transversely to seed length.

= [16], 32, 48.

= 32.