Flora of North America species comparison

prostrate or decumbent and ascending at tips, subterete or with raised lines decurrent from leaf axils, well branched, 10–50(–70) cm, glabrous or, sometimes, minutely strigillose on leaf margins and inflorescence.

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

opposite;

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

petiole narrowly winged, 0.1–2.5 cm, blade narrowly to broadly elliptic or ovate-elliptic, 0.5–4.5 × 0.3–2.3 cm, base abruptly attenuate, margins entire and minutely strigillose, apex subacute, surfaces glabrous;

bracts not 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.

leafy spikes or racemes, flowers usually paired in leaf axils of prostrate stems;

bracteoles attached at base or to 2.5 mm distal to base of ovary, sublinear, 0.3–1(–1.8) × 0.1–0.8 mm.

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 ascending, green, ovate-deltate, 1.1–2 × 1–2.1 mm, margins finely serrulate with minute hairs, apex acuminate, sometimes with blunt tip, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0;

filaments translucent, 0.4–0.6 mm, anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.3–0.6 mm;

pollen shed singly;

ovary oblong, 1.5–3.5 × 1–2 mm, glabrate;

nectary disc elevated 0.15–0.3 mm on ovary apex, green, 1–2 mm diam., 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale green, 0.3–0.7 mm, glabrous, stigma subglobose or capitate, 0.4–0.6 × 0.2–0.4 mm, not exserted beyond anthers.

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.

oblong obovoid, 4-angled, (1.6–)2–5 × 1.5–3(–3.5) mm, thin-walled, irregularly dehiscent or dispersing as unit, pedicel 0–0.5 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.

yellowish brown, ellipsoid, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.4 mm, surface cells transversely elongate.

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.

= 48.