Flora of North America species comparison

filiform.

erect to ascending, green, 5–20 cm, stipitate-glandular, often densely so, internodes of all stems 1–3 times as long as leaves.

prostrate to ascending or erect, simple or branched.

overlapping proximally, perfoliate proximally, with ± loose, scarious to herbaceous sheath 0.5–1 mm;

blade green, flat, 1-veined, oblanceolate to cuneate (proximal) to oblong-lanceolate to ovate (remaining cauline), 5–30(–35) × 2–4 mm, flexuous, margins not thickened, ± scarious, smooth, apex green to purple, obtuse to abruptly pointed, dull, glabrous;

axillary leaves absent.

opposite, connate proximally or not, often petiolate (basal leaves), not stipulate;

blade subulate or linear to spatulate, lanceolate, or broadly ovate, seldom succulent.

7–12-flowered, open cymes, or rarely solitary, terminal;

bracts ± lanceolate, herbaceous, sometimes scarious-margined proximally.

terminal or axillary cymes, or flowers solitary;

bracts foliaceous or reduced, herbaceous to scarious (or rarely absent);

involucel bracteoles absent.

reflexed in fruit, 0.5–2.5 cm, stipitate-glandular.

present or rarely flowers sessile.

hypanthium disc-shaped;

sepals obscurely veined, ovate to broadly elliptic (herbaceous portion ovate to broadly elliptic), 3–6 mm, to 7 mm in fruit, apex green or purple, acute to acuminate, not hooded, stipitate-glandular;

petals obovate to oblanceolate, 2–2.5 times as long as sepals, apex rounded, broadly notched.

bisexual or seldom unisexual, sometimes inconspicuous;

perianth and androecium hypogynous or perigynous, often slightly;

hypanthium cup-, dish-, or disc-shaped;

sepals (4–)5, distinct or seldom connate basally, sometimes hooded, not awned;

petals absent or (1–)4–5, usually white, sometimes translucent, yellowish white, pink, or brownish, seldom clawed, auricles absent, coronal appendages absent, blade apex entire or 2-fid, sometimes jagged or emarginate, rarely laciniate;

stamens absent or (1–)5(–10), in 1 or 2 whorls, arising from base of ovary, a nectariferous disc, or sometimes the hypanthium or hypanthium rim;

staminodes absent or 1–5(–8);

ovary 1- or rarely 3-locular (Wilhelmsia);

styles (2–)3–5(–6), distinct;

stigmas (2–)3–5(–6).

capsules, or rarely utricles (Scleranthus), opening by (2–)3–6, occasionally 8 or 10 valves or (3 or) 6–10 teeth;

carpophore present or often absent.

sessile, broadly ellipsoid, 6–7.5 mm, equaling or longer than sepals.

dark brown to blackish, orbiculate with radicle prolonged into beak, only slightly compressed, 0.7–0.8 mm, echinate with rounded tubercles.

1–60+, yellowish or tan to dark red or often brown or black, usually reniform or triangular to circular and laterally compressed or ovoid to globose, rarely oblong and dorsiventrally compressed (Holosteum);

embryo usually peripheral and curved, rarely central and straight (Holosteum).

= 6–15, 17–19, 23.