Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect to ascending, much-branched, 15–33 cm, glabrous to minutely puberulent.

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 lanceolate to ovate, 2.5–5 mm, apex acuminate to long-acuminate, entire;

blade linear to filiform, 8–15 × 0.4–0.8 mm, leathery, apex acute to submucronate, 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, short-campanulate, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx slightly constricted proximally, 1.6–2 mm, appressed-puberulent proximally;

sepals red-brown, midrib and lateral pair of veins absent to evident, oblong, 0.8–1.1 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish to translucent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood present, broadly rounded, awn divergently spreading, 0.4–0.6 mm, ± broadly conic in proximal 1/2 with pale-yellow, scabrous spine;

staminodes filiform, 0.5–0.7 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/6, 0.6–0.7 mm.

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

terminal and axillary, 5–20+-flowered, dichotomous, repeatedly branching and diffusely spreading, open, clusters 0.5–1.5 mm wide.

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

ovoid-globose, 0.8–0.9 mm, smooth, glabrous.