Flora of North America species comparison

procumbent, branched from base, hirtellose; flowering stems 7–45 cm;

sterile stems 3–10 cm.

prostrate to ascending, branched especially distally, retrorsely to spreading-pubescent throughout (when pubescent); flowering stems 8–48 cm;

sterile stems 2–10 cm.

stipules narrowly lanceolate, 6–13 mm, apex acuminate, often deeply cleft;

blade linear, 10–30 × 0.4–1 mm, leathery, apex short-spinose, minutely hirtellous to puberulent.

stipules ovate-lanceolate, 2–12 mm, apex acuminate, entire;

blade linear to spatulate-oblanceolate, 4–40 × 1–4 mm, leathery, apex obtuse to acute, moderately antrorsely pubescent.

5-merous, narrowly ovoid, with enlarged hypanthium and calyx tapering gradually distally, 2.8–5.1 mm, glabrous to puberulent, especially proximally;

sepals brown to yellowish, midrib and lateral pair of veins prominent, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, 2–2.9 mm, leathery to rigid, margins whitish, 0.1–0.2 mm wide, papery, apex terminated by awn, hood rounded-triangular, awn curved outward, green to red-brown, ± conic, 0.4–1.1 mm, scabrous, distinct spine absent;

staminodes filiform, 0.8–1 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/5, 1.2–2 mm.

5-merous, narrowly ellipsoid, with slightly enlarged hypanthium and calyx tapering distally, 2.3–3.5 mm, glabrous to slightly puberulent proximally with straight to hooked hairs;

sepals red-brown, white or whitish distally, veins absent, narrowly oblong to lanceolate-oblong, 1.4–2 mm, papery, margins white, ca. 0.1 mm wide, papery, apex rounded, hood formed from slight incurving, awn or mucro absent;

staminodes narrowly oblong, 0.4 mm;

style 1, cleft in distal 1/10, 1.3–1.7 mm.

terminal, 3–10+-flowered, somewhat open to compact, often forming clusters 6–30 mm wide.

terminal, 15–200+-flowered, branched, densely to loosely grouped to form subcorymbose clusters 5–50 mm wide.

ovoid to obovoid, 1.8–2 mm, smooth, glabrous.

ovoid to ellipsoid, 1–1.2 mm, rugulose, glabrous.