Flora of North America species comparison

erect to ascending, much-branched, 10–35 cm, scabrous, puberulent to pubescent, sometimes glabrous with age.

erect, tightly branched, 0.5–1.2 cm, glabrous.

stipules lanceolate, 5–15 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear, 7–25(–34) × 0.5–1 mm, leathery, apex obtuse to subacute or submucronate, pubescent to puberulent.

stipules broadly ovate, 3–6 mm, apex acute to acuminate, entire;

blade linear to oblanceolate, 2.5–7.5 × 0.5–1.2 mm, leathery, apex spinulose, glabrous.

flowers axillary, solitary.

5-merous, short-campanulate, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx widening somewhat distally, 1.8–2.8 mm, puberulent, glabrous to hirtellous distally;

sepals green to red-brown, veins absent, oblong, 1.3–1.8 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish to translucent, 0.05–0.1 mm wide, scarious, apex terminated by awn, broadly rounded, awn widely divergent, 0.4–0.8 mm, conic in proximal 1/2–2/3 with yellowish, scabrous spine;

staminodes filiform, 0.6–1 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/3–1/6, 0.8–1.2 mm.

5-merous, cylindric, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx cylindric to somewhat tapering distally, 4.2–5 mm, moderately hairy in proximal 1/2 with hooked to coiled hairs;

sepals green to tan, veins absent, lanceolate to elliptic, 3.5–4.5 mm, margins translucent, 0.7–1+ mm wide, scarious (resembling stipules), apex (of herbaceous midrib) terminated by awn, hood apparently consisting of prominent, erect, scarious extension of margins split at apex, awn ± spreading, 1.5–2 mm, oblong extension of midrib in proximal 1/4, with white, wavy, threadlike spine;

staminodes filiform, ca. 1 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 3/4, ca. 0.5 mm.

terminal, 20–70-flowered, open, clusters 1–2 cm wide.

ellipsoid-ovoid, 0.8–1 mm, smooth, glabrous.

ovoid, ca. 1.3 mm, papillose distally.