Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect to ascending, much-branched, 4–10 cm, hirtellous.

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, 5–8 mm, apex acuminate, often deeply cleft;

blade lanceolate, 5–9 × 0.75–1.1 mm, leathery, apex pungently mucronate, minutely hirtellous to puberulent.

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 then widening distally, 3.3–4.5 mm, puberulent with mostly ascending hairs;

sepals red-brown, midrib and lateral pair of veins absent to evident, oblong, 1.7–2 mm, leathery to rigid, margins white, 0.2–0.3 mm wide, papery to scarious, apex terminated by awn, hood ± obscure, broadly rounded, awn moderately divergent, white, ± lanceoloid, 1.4–2.1 mm, scabrous, distinct spine absent;

staminodes ± triangular, 0.2–0.4 mm;

styles 2, 0.5–0.7 mm.

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

subglobose to ± 4-angular, 1.2–1.3 mm, papillate distally.

terminal and subterminal, 3–7(–10)-flowered, densely congested, forming large and conspicuous glomerules 5–15 mm wide.