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

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 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.

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.

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 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 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.

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.

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.

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

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.

= 16.