Flora of North America species comparison

fascicled, often fusiform, or spreading horizontally.

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

subterete to scarcely angled, with narrow raised lines or wings decurrent from leaf axils, 45–85 cm, branched mainly near base, glabrate with strigillose raised lines or strigillose.

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 narrowly deltate, 0.1–0.2 × 0.1–0.15 mm;

sessile;

blade ovate to obovate proximally, lanceolate-linear to linear distally, 2–7 × 0.2–1(–1.5) cm, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to rounded, surfaces strigillose, densely so particularly along veins;

bracts usually very reduced in size, sublinear.

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.

sparse racemes, flowers solitary in leaf axils;

bracteoles attached in subopposite pairs on distal 1/3 of pedicel, lanceolate-linear, 0.7–3.2(–5) ×0.2–0.5 mm, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces strigillose.

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 strongly reflexed, narrowly ovate-deltate, 6–10 × 2.5–4.5 mm, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces finely strigillose to glabrate;

petals cordate, 14–19 × 13–15 mm, base attenuate, apex emarginate;

filaments opaque white, awl-shaped, 1.9–4.2 mm, anthers 2–4 × 0.6–1 mm;

ovary subcuboid to globose, 3–4 × 3–4 mm;

nectary disc elevated, domed, 0.8–1.4 mm diam., prominently 4-lobed, ringed with silky-curly hairs;

style 5–9.5 mm, glabrous, stigma capitate to hemispherical, 0.6–1.3 × 1.3–2.6 mm, shallowly 4-lobed, as long as or exserted beyond anthers.

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.

subglobose to ellipsoid, 3.5–6.8 × 3.3–4.3 mm, 4-angled, angles not developed into wings, pedicel 6.5–17 mm.

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

light brown, elliptic-oblong to reniform, 0.5–0.7 × 0.3–0.4 mm, surface cells elongate transversely to seed length or elongate parallel to length near raphe.

= 32.

= 16.