Flora of North America species comparison

filiform.

stout, woody.

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

ascending, green, 4–6 cm, glabrous proximally, stipitate-glandular distally, internodes of flowering stems 6–8 times as long as leaves.

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.

tightly overlapping (vegetative), variably spaced (cauline), usually connate proximally, with tight, scarious to herbaceous sheath 0.5–1.5 mm;

blade straight to outwardly curved, green, 3-angled, prominently 1-veined abaxially, subulate, 4–8 × 0.3–0.8 mm, flexuous, margins not thickened, herbaceous, smooth, apex green, rounded to truncate, sometimes apiculate, shiny, glabrous;

axillary leaves present among vegetative leaves.

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

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

solitary flowers, terminal;

bracts lance-subulate, herbaceous.

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

0.5–1.5 cm, usually densely stipitate-glandular.

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.

hypanthium cup-shaped;

sepals 3-veined, ovate to broadly lanceolate (herbaceous portion oblong to narrowly ovate), 3–4 mm, not enlarging in fruit proximally, apex often purple, rounded, hooded or not, stipitate-glandular;

petals white or rarely lilac, spatulate to spatulate-obovate, 1.5–2 times as long as sepals, apex rounded, entire.

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

narrowly ellipsoid, 6–10 mm, 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.

brown, suborbiculate with radicle prolonged into beak, somewhat compressed, 0.9–1.2 mm, smooth.