Flora of North America species comparison

erect, dichotomously branched, 3–40 cm, ultimate branches filiform, glabrous.

erect, tightly branched, 0.5–1.2 cm, glabrous.

stipules subulate to lanceolate, 0.5–4 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade usually dotted or blotched, elliptic to obovate, 3–30 × 1–11 mm, herbaceous, apex acute to obtuse or cuspidate, glabrous.

stipules broadly ovate, 3–6 mm, apex acute to acuminate, entire;

blade linear to oblanceolate, 2.5–7.5 × 0.5–1.2 mm, leathery, apex spinulose, glabrous.

flowers axillary, solitary.

5-merous, ± short-cylindric, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx cylindric, 0.9–1.3 mm, glabrous;

sepals greenish to brownish, midrib and lateral pair of veins prominent, ovate to oblong, 0.5–1 mm, herbaceous, margins white to translucent, 0.03–0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by mucro, hood rounded-triangular, mucro triangular, 0.07–0.15 mm, glabrous;

staminodes absent or indistinct;

styles 2, 0.2–0.3 mm.

5-merous, cylindric, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx cylindric to somewhat tapering distally, 4.2–5 mm, moderately hairy in proximal 1/2 with hooked to coiled hairs;

sepals green to tan, veins absent, lanceolate to elliptic, 3.5–4.5 mm, margins translucent, 0.7–1+ mm wide, scarious (resembling stipules), apex (of herbaceous midrib) terminated by awn, hood apparently consisting of prominent, erect, scarious extension of margins split at apex, awn ± spreading, 1.5–2 mm, oblong extension of midrib in proximal 1/4, with white, wavy, threadlike spine;

staminodes filiform, ca. 1 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 3/4, ca. 0.5 mm.

diffuse, flowers solitary (paired) in axils of leafy bracts.

ovoid to globose, ca. 0.5 mm, granular in distal 1/2, glabrous.

ovoid, ca. 1.3 mm, papillose distally.