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, subterete or slightly ridged, well branched distally, 45–100 cm, glabrous, with raisedlines 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 to very broadly ovate, 0.2–0.5 ×0.1–0.3 mm, succulent;

stolons: petiole winged, 0.2–1 cm, blade orbiculate or elliptic to broadly elliptic, 0.5–2.7 × 0.6–1.2 cm, base attenuate, apex rounded to acute;

main stem: petiole winged, 0.1–0.5 cm, blade elliptic, oblanceolate, or narrowly oblanceolate to sublinear, 2–7.5 × 0.2–0.8(–1.4) cm, base narrowly cuneate, sometimes attenuate, margins entire with minute hydathodal glands, apex acute to narrowly acute, leaves on side branches much reduced;

bracts sublinear, moderately 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 spikes, flowers solitary in distal leaf axils;

bracteoles attached in opposite pairs at or slightly distal to base of ovary, ovate-elliptic to very narrowly elliptic, 1.5–4.3 × 0.4–1.4 mm, often with a swollen base, margins minutely papillose, apex subacute.

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, pale green, broadly ovate-deltate, 1.5–2.5 × 1.8–3.3 mm, margins minutely papillose, apex usually acute, rarely acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0;

filaments nearly translucent, 1–1.4 mm, base dilated, anthers 0.4–0.6(–0.8) × 0.5–0.6 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary broadly obovoid or cup-shaped, 2.5–3.5 × 2.2–3.2 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.4–0.6 mm on ovary apex, yellowish green, 1.8–2.6 mm diam., 4-lobed, glabrous;

style yellowish green, 0.5–0.7 mm, glabrous, stigma yellowish green, broadly capitate to subglobose, 0.3–0.5 × 0.7–1 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.

obpyramidal, sharply 4-angled and 4-winged, wings 0.3–0.7mm wide, 3.5–5 × 2.5–4.5 mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by apical ring, pedicel 0.1–0.5 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, narrowly oblong with constricted ends, 0.6–0.8 ×0.2–0.3 mm, surface cells nearly isodiametric.

= [16], 32, 48.

= 32.