Flora of North America species comparison

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

prostrate to erect, much-branched, 5–50 cm, retrorsely pubescent throughout.

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, 1.5–7 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear-oblong to oblanceolate, 3–20 × 0.5–3 mm, herbaceous, apex obtuse to subacute, sparsely antrorsely pubescent.

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, cylindric, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx constricted then widening distally, 1.2–2.2 mm, pubescent, sometimes only slightly so, mostly proximally with straight or usually hooked hairs;

sepals red-brown, white distally, midrib and lateral pair of veins becoming prominent, linear to oblong, 0.6–1.2 mm, papery, margins white, 0.03–0.1 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by mucro, hood obscure, narrowly rounded, mucro short-conic, 0.05–0.1 mm, glabrous;

staminodes triangular, 0.2–0.4 mm;

style 1, cleft (2- or 3-lobed) in distal 1/5, 0.5–1.3 mm.

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

ovoid to subglobose, 0.4–0.6 mm, ± smooth, glabrous.

terminal and lateral, 15–50+-flowered, densely congested, ± spheroid clusters 3–5 mm wide.