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, subterete, densely branched, 40–120 cm, densely hirtellous.

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 to lanceolate, 0.2–0.25 × 0.1–0.15 mm, usually obscured by pubescence;

stolons: petiole 0.2–0.7 cm, blade obovate or elliptic to orbiculate, 0.6–2 × 0.5–1.1 cm, margins with distinct hydathodal teeth, base attenuate, surfaces densely hirtellous to glabrate;

stems: petiole 0–0.2(–1) cm, blade elliptic or lanceolate-elliptic to very narrowly elliptic, 1.5–8(–10) × 0.3–1.2(–1.4) cm, base cuneate or attenuate, margins entire with obscure hydathodal glands, apex acute or narrowly acute, surfaces ± densely hirtellous, leaves on 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.

usually congested, leafy spikes or racemes, flowers solitary in distal leaf axils;

bracteoles attached 1–2.2 mm distal to base of ovary, linear-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 3–6.5(–7.2)× 0.3–1.5(–1.7) mm, apex acuminate, surfaces hirtellous.

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 with reflexed tips, pale green abaxially, creamy white adaxially, often tinged with pink or red, ovate-deltate, 3.5–5.5(–6) × 2–4 mm, margins entire, apex elongate-acuminate to subcuspidate, surfaces densely hirtellous;

petals 0;

filaments yellowish, 1.5–2.5 mm, base dilated, anthers 0.6–0.9(–1.3) × 0.5–0.7 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary obovoid to cup-shaped, 2.5–4 × 2.5–4 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.3–0.7 mm on ovary apex, bright yellow, turning black upon drying, 2–3.6 mm diam., indistinctly 4-lobed, densely hirtellous around style base and between lobes;

style cream, 1–2 mm, sparsely to densely hirtellous, especially proximally, stigma capitate, 0.3–0.6 × 0.3–0.6 mm, 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.

subglobose or, sometimes, oblong-obovoid, subterete or with 4 rounded corners, 3–5 × 3–4.5 mm, hard-walled, irregularly dehiscent, pedicel 0–1 mm.

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

brown, elliptic-oblong or oblong-ovoid, slightly curved on both ends, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.4 mm, surface cells ± isodiametric.

= 16.

= 32.