Flora of North America species comparison

ascending to erect, rarely decumbent, branched, ribbed, glabrous or appressed-pubescent to spreading-pubescent distally, stipitate-glandular or, rarely, without stipitate-glands.

scandent, ribbed, glabrous, often glaucous;

prickles 0.5–1 mm.

ocrea brownish, cylindric, 6–20 mm, chartaceous, base inflated, margins truncate, eciliate or ciliate with bristles to 1 mm, surface glabrous or scabrous proximally, eglandular;

petiole 0.1–1.5(–2.3) cm, glabrous or appressed-pubescent;

blade sometimes with dark triangular or lunate blotch adaxially, linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 2.3–13(–18) × (0.4–)1–2.3 cm, base tapered to cuneate, margins antrorsely scabrous, apex acute to acuminate, faces glabrous or appressed-pubescent along midveins, glandular-punctate abaxially.

ocrea green, plane to broadly funnelform, 9–14 mm, at least some foliaceous, base inflated or not, without prickles, margins oblique, eciliate, surface glabrous, glaucous;

petiole 4.5–8 cm;

blade triangular, 4–7 × 4.5–9 cm, base truncate to cordate, usually peltate, margins entire, sparsely retrorsely prickly, apex acuminate, faces glabrous, usually glaucous abaxially.

terminal and axillary, erect, uninterrupted, 8–60 × 10–18 mm;

peduncle 8–60(–70) mm, glabrous or pubescent, usually stipitate-glandular;

ocreolae overlapping, margins eciliate or ciliate with bristles to 0.8 mm.

capitate or spikelike, uninterrupted, 5–12 × 5–10 mm;

peduncle 10–50 mm, retrorsely prickly;

ocreolae overlapping, margins eciliate.

ascending, 1.5–5 mm.

mostly ascending, 1–3 mm.

2–11 per ocreate fascicle, heterostylous;

perianth pink, glabrous, not glandular-punctate, accrescent;

tepals 5, connate ca. 1/4–1/3 their length, obovate to elliptic, 3–4.6 mm, veins prominent, not anchor-shaped, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded;

stamens 6–8, included or exserted;

anthers pink or red, elliptic;

styles 2(–3), included or exserted, connate at bases.

1–3 per ocreate fascicle;

perianth greenish white, glabrous, accrescent, becoming fleshy and blue in fruit;

tepals 5, connate to ca. 1/3 their length, broadly elliptic, 2–3.5 mm, apex acute to obtuse;

stamens (6–)8, filaments distinct, free;

anthers pinkish, ovate;

styles 3, connate proximally.

included or apex exserted, brownish black to black, discoid or, rarely, 3-gonous, 1 side usually slightly concave and other with central hump, (2–)2.2–2.9 × 2–2.8(–3) mm, shiny, smooth.

included, black or reddish black, spheroidal, 3–3.5 × 3–3.5 mm, shiny, smooth.