Flora of North America species comparison

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

prostrate to erect, branched, 5–70 cm, mostly retrorsely to spreading-pubescent on 1 side or throughout.

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 lanceolate, 2–6 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade oblong to elliptic or oblanceolate, 3–25 × 1–6 mm, herbaceous, apex acute and briefly cuspidate, glabrous.

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, ± short-cylindric, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx cylindric, 1–1.7 mm, glabrous to pubescent with short hairs, often minutely ciliate, sometimes glaucous;

sepals greenish or greenish white to brownish, veins absent, ovate to oblong, 0.8–1.3 mm, herbaceous, margins white, 0.05–0.1 mm wide, scarious to papery, apex terminated by minute cusp, hood narrowly rounded, cusp light green to whitish, straight, short-conic, 0.1–0.15 mm, minutely scabrous;

staminodes subulate, 0.2–0.3 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 4/5+, 0.2–0.4 mm.

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

terminal, 20–40+-flowered, diffuse, lax, repeatedly forked or dichotomous.

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

ellipsoid, 1–1.3 mm, papillate distally.