Flora of North America species comparison

prostrate to erect, dichotomously branched, 3–20 cm, retrorsely to spreading- pubescent throughout.

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

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 0.5–7 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade elliptic to oblong or ovate, or basal ones spatulate, 2–18 × 1–6 mm, herbaceous to leathery, apex mucronate to short-spine-tipped, moderately antrorsely 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.

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

5-merous, broadly ovoid, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx tapering distally, 2–2.3 mm, glabrous to strigose;

sepals brownish to yellowish, veins absent, subulate to lanceolate, 1–1.7 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish, 0.03–0.1 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by awn, hood obscure, small flange, awn straight to slightly divergent, yellow, 0.3–0.4 mm, scabrous to antrorsely strigose, spinose;

staminodes narrowly triangular, 0.2–0.3 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/8, 0.7–0.9 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.

ellipsoid to subglobose, 0.5–0.8 mm, essentially smooth, glabrous.

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

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