Flora of North America species comparison

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

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

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

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

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

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

= 32, 36.