Flora of North America species comparison

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

prostrate to erect, much-branched, 5–50 cm, retrorsely pubescent 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, 1.5–7 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear-oblong to oblanceolate, 3–20 × 0.5–3 mm, herbaceous, apex obtuse to subacute, sparsely antrorsely pubescent.

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 constricted then widening distally, 1.2–2.2 mm, pubescent, sometimes only slightly so, mostly proximally with straight or usually hooked hairs;

sepals red-brown, white distally, midrib and lateral pair of veins becoming prominent, linear to oblong, 0.6–1.2 mm, papery, margins white, 0.03–0.1 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by mucro, hood obscure, narrowly rounded, mucro short-conic, 0.05–0.1 mm, glabrous;

staminodes triangular, 0.2–0.4 mm;

style 1, cleft (2- or 3-lobed) in distal 1/5, 0.5–1.3 mm.

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

terminal and lateral, 15–50+-flowered, densely congested, ± spheroid clusters 3–5 mm wide.

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

ovoid to subglobose, 0.4–0.6 mm, ± smooth, glabrous.