Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect to spreading, terete or sometimes ridged, 60–250(–400) cm, densely branched, densely villous to glabrate, especially near base.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

= 32.

= [16], 32, 48.