Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect, usually much-branched, 4–30 cm, retrorsely to spreading-pubescent mostly on 1 side.

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 subulate to lanceolate, 0.5–4.5 mm, apex acuminate, sometimes fimbriate;

blade usually dotted or blotched, oblanceolate to elliptic or obovate, 2–25 × 0.5–7(–10) mm, herbaceous to leathery, apex subobtuse to acute or cuspidate, glabrous or occasionally with very few scattered trichomes along midrib.

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, 1.1–1.6 mm, glabrous or with few scattered hairs;

sepals greenish to brownish, veins absent, linear-oblong, 1–1.2 mm, leathery to rigid, margins white to translucent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by mucro, hood narrowly rounded, mucro short-conic, 0.05–0.3 mm, ± minutely scabrous;

staminodes absent;

styles 2, 0.07–0.6(–0.7) mm.

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

terminal, 25–70+-flowered, branched, loose to compact, forming clusters 3–10 mm wide.

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

obovoid to obconic, 0.7–1 mm, minutely papillate.

= 32, 36.