Flora of North America species comparison

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

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

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 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-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, 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.

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

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

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

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