Flora of North America species comparison

erect, ascending, decumbent, or prostrate, slightly ridged, well branched, 10–60(–75) cm, glabrous, with raised lines decurrent from leaf axils.

erect, slightly ridged, unbranched or slightly branched, (16–)30–90 cm, glabrous or strigillose to hirtellous, especially on distal parts.

alternate or proximal pairs opposite;

stipules narrowly ovate-deltate, 0.1–0.3 × 0.1–0.2 mm, succulent;

petiole winged, 0.2–1 cm, blade spatulate or oblanceolate to very narrowly oblanceolate or sublinear, 0.6–1.5(–2) × (0.1–)0.3–0.7(–1.1) cm, base attenuate, margins subentire with hydathodal glands, apex acute or mucronate;

bracts not much reduced.

alternate;

stipules deltate, 0.25–0.45 × 0.15–0.4 mm;

rhizomes: sessile, blades minute, appressed, and scalelike, oblate or suborbiculate, 0.3–0.6 × 0.6–0.9 mm;

stolons: petiole 0.1–0.6 cm, blade oblong or oblanceolate-elliptic to spatulate, 0.4–3.5 × 0.2–1.5 cm;

main stem: sessile, blade lanceolate-elliptic or lanceolate-linear to linear, 2.5–9.5 × (0.1–)0.3–0.9 cm, proximal ones shorter and often oblong or oblong-lanceolate, base rounded or obtuse, margins entire with obscure hydathodal glands, apex acuminate to acute, surfaces glabrous or, sometimes, pilose on proximal blades;

bracts very reduced.

open, leafy spikes or racemes, flowers solitary in leaf axils;

bracteoles attached in opposite pairs near base of ovary, lanceolate-elliptic, 0.9–1.5(–2.5) × 0.4–0.9 mm, swollen at base, apex acuminate.

densely clustered, terminal racemes or spikes, 1–5(–12) cm;

bracteoles attached at base of ovary or on pedicel distally, narrowly lanceolate, 3.5–5(–6) × (1.2–)1.4–2 mm, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes pilose abaxially.

sepals ascending, creamy white near base adaxially, ovate-deltate, 1.2–1.8 × 1–2 mm, margins entire, apex narrowly acute or acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0 or very rare;

filaments nearly translucent, 0.5–0.8 mm, anthers 0.2–0.4 × 0.3–0.4 mm;

pollen shed singly;

ovary obconic, subterete or scarcely 4-angled, 1.2–1.8 × 1.2–2 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.3–0.4 mm on ovary apex, green, 0.9–1.3 mm diam., distinctly 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale green, 0.4–0.6 mm, stigma pale yellow, subglobose, 0.2–0.3 × 0.2–0.3 mm, not exserted beyond anthers.

sepals ascending, pale green or white adaxially, broadly ovate-deltate, 2.3–3.5(–4) × 2.3–3.2(–3.8) mm, margins entire, apex acuminate, surfaces glabrous;

petals 0;

filaments yellow or cream, 1.2–2 mm, distinctly dilated toward base, anthers 0.7–1(–1.3) × 0.5–0.7 mm;

pollen shed in tetrads;

ovary broadly obovoid or cup-shaped, 2.2–3 × 2.3–3.3 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.5–0.6 mm on ovary apex, pale yellow, 1.8–3.1 mm diam., obscurely 4-lobed, glabrous;

style pale yellow, 0.9–1.7 mm, glabrous, stigma pale green to white, globose to capitate, 0.4–0.8 × 0.5–0.8 mm, distinctly 4-lobed, not exserted beyond anthers.

obconic, obscurely 4-angled, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–3 mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by loculicidal slits, pedicel 0–0.4 mm.

broadly obpyramidal, angles rounded, sometimes subspherical, 2.5–4.3 ×2.5–4.5(–5) mm, hard-walled, dehiscent by apical ring, pedicel 0.5–1.5(–2) mm.

light brown or brown, ellipsoid, 0.5–0.6 × 0.3–0.4 mm, surface cells transversely elongate, glabrous, occasionally covered by minute waxy hairs.

brown, elliptic-oblong, curved on both ends, 0.5–0.6 × 0.2–0.3 mm, surface cells ± isodiametric.

= 48.

= 32.