Flora of North America species comparison

erect to decumbent, sprawling, creeping, trailing, prostrate, or procumbent.

spreading, not imbricate;

blade linear, 5–20 × 1–2 mm, margins entire or finely serrulate, glabrous.

deciduous or persistent, usually alternate, sometimes opposite, whorled, or spirally arranged;

petiole usually present;

blade plane or acicular, abaxial groove present or absent.

spikelike, 8–30-flowered.

axillary or terminal, fascicles, racemes, panicles, capitula, cymes, umbels, corymbs, spikes, or solitary flowers;

perulae present or absent;

bracts much shorter than sepals (sometimes absent).

10–15 mm, glandular;

bracteoles 2.

nodding;

sepals narrowly ovate to lanceolate, 3–4.5 mm, margins ciliate distally, glabrous abaxially;

corolla white, pink, or purplish, campanulate, not constricted at mouth, 7–9 mm, not glandular, lobes recurved, 3–4 mm;

stamens 9–10, exserted;

filaments 5–8 mm, ciliate proximally;

anthers purple, 1.5–2.5 mm;

ovary globose, 1–2 mm, densely glandular;

style exserted, 6–8 mm.

bisexual or unisexual, erect or pendulous, usually radially or bilaterally symmetric;

sepals (2-)4-5(-7);

petals absent or (2-)4-5(-7), connate or distinct, corolla deciduous or persistent, campanulate, salverform, rotate, saucer-shaped, funnelform, cylindric, or urceolate, (with pockets holding anthers until they open in some Kalmia), lobes shorter than tube;

intrastaminal nectary disc present;

stamens (2-)5-10;

anthers dehiscent by lateral pores or slits;

ovary (2-)5-10-locular;

placentation axile (parietal distally in Epigaea);

style straight or declinate (curved in Elliottia).

capsular, dehiscence usually septicidal, sometimes loculicidal or septifragal, or drupaceous, (dry to fleshy), indehiscent.

5-valved, globose, 3–3.5 mm, glandular-hairy.

2-300, distinct, obovoid, ovoid, or ellipsoid to oblong, linear, fusiform, or planoconvex, winged or not.