Flora of North America species comparison

prostrate, usually much-branched throughout, 5–50 cm, pubescent.

prostrate to ascending, dichotomously branched, 5–20 cm, often retrorsely pubescent on 1 side.

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 3–6 mm, apex narrowly acute to long-acuminate, entire;

blade elliptic to oblanceolate, 5–10 × 1.5–2.5 mm, ± fleshy, apex spinulous, entire, ± moderately antrorsely appressed-pubescent.

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 1–1.5 mm, apex obtuse to acuminate, fimbriate;

blade oblong to triangular-ovate, 1.5–6 × 0.5–1.5 mm, leathery, apex acute to obtuse, glabrous.

5-merous, short-cylindric, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx cylindric to slightly tapering distally, 1.9–2.4 mm, glabrous, sepals puberulent distally;

sepals greenish, becoming reddish brown, midrib and lateral pair of veins often apparent, oblong to ovate, 1.2–1.3 mm, herbaceous, margins translucent, ca. 0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood broadly rounded, awn erect, 0.5–0.7 mm, conic in proximal 1/6 with whitish, smooth spine;

staminodes absent;

styles 2, 0.2–0.3 mm.

5-merous, occasionally 3- or 4-merous, obconic to short-campanulate, with gradually expanded hypanthium and calyx widening distally, 0.5–0.8 mm, pubescent proximally with straight to hooked hairs;

sepals brown-purple, white to greenish at apex, sometimes proximally, veins absent, ± oblong, 0.5–0.7 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish to translucent, 0.1–0.2 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by crest or mucro, hood broadly rounded, mucro rounded-triangular, ca. 0.1 mm, glabrous;

staminodes absent or rudimentary;

styles 2(–3), ca. 0.3 mm.

axillary, inconspicuous, 2–6-flowered, tightly congested.

terminal, 7–25+-flowered, much-branched and very profusely developed along all branches, 1.5–20 mm wide.

± globose to 4-angled, 1.2–1.3 mm, papillate distally.

ovoid or ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.4–0.5 mm, smooth, glabrous.