Flora of North America species comparison

suberect, prostrate, or scandent, glabrous or puberulent, sometimes papillose.

deciduous, cauline, alternate, usually petiolate;

ocrea usually deciduous, sometimes persistent, chartaceous;

petiole base articulated, extrafloral nectaries present;

blade linear to orbiculate, panduriform, or triangular-lanceolate, margins entire or irregularly wavy.

terminal and axillary, spikelike, essentially not pedunculate.

prescent.

bisexual and unisexual, with staminate, pistillate, or sometimes both sexes occurring with bisexual flowers on the same plant, 1–2(–5) per ocreate fascicle, base stipelike;

perianth accrescent, white to greenish white, campanulate, glabrous;

tepals 5, connate proximally, sepaloid, dimorphic, outer slightly larger than inner.

stamens 8 (9);

filaments distinct, adnate to base of perianth tube, glabrous;

anthers yellow or pink to purple, ovate to elliptic;

pistil rudimentary.

tube white or reddish purple to black in fruit, becoming fleshy;

stamens rudimentary;

styles 3, spreading, connate proximally;

stigmas fimbriate.

completely or partly included in fleshy perianth, black or dark brown, unwinged, 3-gonous to subglobose, glabrous.

embryo straight.

= 10.