Flora of North America species comparison

sprawling t2o erect, nearly simple to much-branched especially distally, 7–35 cm, retrorsely pubescent on 1 side or throughout.

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

stipules lanceolate to ovate, 5–10 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear-oblong to oblanceolate, 5–30 × 1–7 mm, leathery, apex acute to cuspidate, moderately antrorsely pubescent.

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-campanulate, with prominently enlarged hypanthium and calyx flaring distally, (1.5–)2–2.3 mm, pubescent proximally with short, hooked hairs;

sepals greenish to brownish or red-brown, white distally, veins absent, oblong to obovate, 1–1.5 mm, leathery to rigid, margins white, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, papery, apex terminating in divergent awn, hood broadly rounded, awn white, stout-conic, 0.5–0.6 mm, glabrous;

staminodes filiform, ± 0.3 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/5, 0.3–0.6 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.

terminal, 25+-flowered, much-branched but congested, clusters 5–20 mm wide.

ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.5–0.8 mm, minutely papillate distally.

ovoid, ca. 1.3 mm, papillose distally.