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, often well branched, (22–)50–100(–145) cm, glabrous or sparsely to densely, minutely strigillose.

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 narrowly ovate or lanceolate, 0.15–0.3 × 0.05–0.15 mm;

stolons: petiole attenuate, 0.2–0.5 cm, blade narrowly to very narrowly elliptic, 1–2.5 × 0.3–0.9 cm, surfaces glabrous or minutely strigillose;

stems: subsessile, blade linear to elliptic-linear, 1.6–6(–8.5) × 0.1–0.4(–0.6) cm, base very narrowly cuneate, margins entire with obscure hydathodal glands, apex very narrowly acute, surfaces glabrous or sparsely to densely, minutely strigillose or puberulent;

bracts not 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.

leafy racemes or spikes, flowers solitary in leaf axils;

bracteoles deciduous, attached on pedicel near ovary base or to 4.5 mm distal to base, linear, 0.4–4(–7.5) × 0.1–0.3 mm.

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, green, lanceolate-deltate to narrowly so, 2.5–5(–5.5) × 1–3(–3.5) mm, margins entire, apex acuminate or elongate-acuminate to cuspidate, surfaces sparsely to densely strigillose;

petals obovate to suborbiculate, 3–6 × (2–)2.5–5 mm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex obtuse;

filaments white or cream, 1.1–2.2 mm, anthers lanceolate-oblong, 1–2 × 0.6–1 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary cylindric (wider at apex), 2.5–4.5 ×1–2.5 mm, strigillose;

nectary disc elevated (0.2–)0.3–0.6 mm on ovary apex, yellow, 1.3–2.5 mm diam., 4-lobed, margins glabrous or minutely strigillose;

style yellowish green, (0.4–)0.7–1.5 mm, glabrous or densely strigillose on proximal part, stigma clavate to subcapitate, (0.6–)1–1.9 × 0.6–0.9 mm, shallowly 4-lobed, 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.

elongate-obpyramidal, obscurely 4-angled, often with central, longitudinal groove on each side, 5–10(–12) × 2–5.5 mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by apical ring, pedicel 0–3.5(–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, oblong-elliptic,0.5–0.7 × 0.2–0.3 mm, surface cells oblong, elongate either parallel or transversely to seed length.

= [16], 32, 48.

= 16.