Flora of North America species comparison

erect, dichotomously branched, 5–50 cm, retrorsely to spreading- pubescent throughout.

prostrate, sprawling-spreading, much-branched, 10–35 cm, short-pubescent.

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 2–6 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear to linear-oblanceolate or linear-oblong, 3–25 × 1–2.3 mm, herbaceous, apex ± acute, moderately antrorsely puberulent.

stipules ovate, 3–7.5 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade oblanceolate to spatulate, 5–18 × 1.5–3.5 mm, leathery, apex obtuse to very short-cuspidate, densely appressed-pubescent.

5-merous, cylindric to narrowly lanceolate, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx cylindric to tapering distally, 2.3–3.5 mm, pubescent mostly proximal with hooked or usually straight hairs, sometimes with scattered straight hairs distally;

sepals flecked or solid red-brown, white distally, midrib obscure, linear-lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm, papery, margins white, 0.1–0.2 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by mucro, hood obscure, narrowly rounded, mucro short-conic, ca. 0.1 mm, glabrous;

staminodes filiform, widening proximally, 0.5–0.6 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/10.

5-merous, ± extended-urceolate, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx constricted proximally, flaring distally, 1.8–2 mm, pubescent with short, hooked hairs proximally;

sepals red-brown, often finely striped or mottled, veins absent, spatulate-obovate to suboblong, 0.8–1.3 mm, leathery to rigid, margins white, 0.1–0.2 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by awn, broadly rounded, awn divergent, 0.3–0.4 mm, broadly conic in proximal 1/3–1/2 with white, scabrous spine;

staminodes filiform, 0.5–0.6 mm;

style 1, 0.7–0.8 mm, cleft in distal 1/5.

terminal and lateral, 15–50+-flowered, often forming large, congested clusters 5–30 mm wide.

terminal and subterminal, occasionally axillary, 3–7-flowered, congested, clusters 3–8 mm wide.

broadly ellipsoid to ± globose, 0.5–0.7 mm, smooth, glabrous.

globose, 0.8–1 mm, smooth, glabrous.