Flora of North America species comparison

prostrate or decumbent and ascending distally, slightly ridged, well branched, 10–40cm, densely strigillose throughout.

erect or strongly ascending, sharply 4-angled and 4-winged, 30–200 cm, simple to densely branched, glabrous.

opposite;

stipules narrowly deltate or ovate, 0.05–0.15 × 0.05–0.1 mm;

petiole very narrowly winged, 0.3–0.9 cm, blade elliptic-spatulate or narrowly so, 0.9–1.7 × 0.3–0.9 cm, base attenuate, margins entire, apex acute, surfaces strigillose;

bracts not reduced except at branch tips.

stipules deltate, 0.4–0.5 × 0.2 mm;

sessile and continuous with wings on stem;

blade lanceolate or narrowly lanceolate to narrowly ovate or elliptic, 2–20 × 0.2–5 cm, base acute or rounded, margins entire, often minutely scabrid, apex acute or acuminate, membranous, surfaces glabrous or sometimes minutely puberulent on abaxial veins;

bracts linear, mostly reduced.

leafy spikes or racemes, flowers usually paired in leaf axils;

bracteoles attached at base of ovary or on short pedicel, narrowly oblong or oblanceolate, 0.2–0.8 × 0.05–0.2 mm, apex acute, often obscured by hairs.

open, leafy racemes, flowers solitary in distal axils;

bracteoles deciduous, usually attached near base of ovary, without subtending glands, lanceolate to subovate, 0.5–1 × 0.2–0.5 mm, apex acute.

sepals ascending, pale green, broadly ovate-deltate, 1–1.7 × 1.1–1.7 mm, margins entire, apex acuminate, surfaces densely strigillose;

petals 0;

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

pollen shed singly;

ovary oblong-obovoid, 4-angled to subterete, 1.5–2.5 × 1–1.5 mm;

nectary disc elevated 0.1–0.2 mm on ovary apex, yellowish green, 0.7–0.9 mm diam., 4-lobed, glabrous;

style yellowish green, 0.3–0.5 mm, glabrous, stigma pale yellow, capitate, 0.2–0.3 × 0.2–0.3 mm, not exserted beyond anthers.

sepals ovate to lanceolate, 7–12 × 1.5–4 mm, apex acute or short acuminate, membranous, margins usually minutely scabrid, surfaces usually glabrous, sometimes puberulent abaxially;

petals orbiculate-obovate, 10–20 × 10–18 mm, short-clawed;

stamens 8 in 2 subequal series, yellow, filaments 1.3–2.5 mm, anthers oblong, 1.3–1.6 × 0.5–0.6 mm;

ovary obconic, sharply 4-angled and 4-winged, 6–10 × 2–4.5 mm, glabrous or minutely puberulent;

nectary disc plane on ovary apex, 3–5 mm diam., 4-lobed, glabrate or ringed with short hairs;

style 2.5–3.2 × 0.5–0.6 mm, stigma globose, 1–2 × 1–2 mm, not exserted beyond anthers and pollen shed directly on it.

oblong-obovoid, subterete, 2.5–4(–4.5) × 1.5–2.5 mm, thin-walled, seeds often visible on exocarp as small bumps, irregularly dehiscent or dispersing as unit, pedicel 0–0.5 mm.

rarely sharply curved, subclavate to oblong-obovoid or narrowly obpyramidal, sharply 4-angled and 4-winged, 10–25 × 3–5 mm, glabrous, pedicel 2–15 mm.

dark reddish brown, ellipsoid, 0.5–0.7 × 0.4–0.5 mm, surface cells transversely elongate.

oblong or subcylindric, 0.5–0.6 × 0.2 mm, striate, raphe very narrow and inconspicuous.

= 32.

= 16.