Flora of North America species comparison

decumbent or ascending, branched proximally, scarcely ribbed, glabrous or scabrous distally.

scandent, ribbed, glabrous, often glaucous;

prickles 0.5–1 mm.

ocrea brownish, cylindric, 3–10 mm, chartaceous, base not inflated, margins truncate, ciliate with bristles (0.3–)1–3(–5) mm, surface glabrous or strigose, not glandular-punctate;

petiole 0.1–0.2 cm, glabrous or strigose, leaves sometimes sessile;

blade without dark triangular or lunate blotch adaxially, linear to linear-lanceolate, (1–)2–7.5(–10) × (0.2–)0.4–1(–2.3) cm, base tapered to cuneate, margins antrorsely scabrous, apex acute to acuminate, faces glabrous or sparingly strigose, especially along midveins, not glandular-punctate.

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, ascending to erect, usually interrupted proximally, uninterrupted distally, 10–50 × 2–4 mm;

peduncle (0–)2–25 mm, sometimes absent on axillary inflorescences and flowers thus enclosed in ocreae, glabrous;

ocreolae not overlapping proximally, usually overlapping distally, margins ciliate with bristles (0.1–)0.6–2(–2.7) mm.

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

peduncle 10–50 mm, retrorsely prickly;

ocreolae overlapping, margins eciliate.

ascending, 0.5–1 mm.

mostly ascending, 1–3 mm.

1–3(–4) per ocreate fascicle, homostylous;

perianth roseate to red, rarely white, glabrous, not glandular-punctate, scarcely accrescent;

tepals 5, connate ca. 1/3 their length, obovate to elliptic, 2.5–3 mm, veins not prominent, not anchor-shaped, margins entire, apex obtuse to rounded;

stamens 5(–6), included;

anthers yellow to pink, elliptic;

styles 2(–3), 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, brownish black to black, biconvex or, rarely, 3-gonous, (1.5–)1.8–2.3(– 2.7) × (1.1–)1.3–1.5(–1.8) mm, shiny, smooth.

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