Flora of North America species comparison

erect or decumbent, branched mostly from base, not wiry, 15–100 cm.

ascending to erect, green to purplish, much-branched from base, not wiry, 5–10(–20) cm, papillose-scabridulous.

ocrea 4–8 mm, proximal part cylindric, distal part soon disintegrating into curly or straight fibers;

petiole 0–1.5 mm;

blade bluish green, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, 15–50 × 2–8 mm, margins flat, apex acute;

stem leaves 2.1–4 times as long as branch leaves;

distal leaves abruptly reduced and not overtopping flowers (shorter than or equaling flowers).

uniformly distributed, articulated to ocreae, basal leaves persistent, distal leaves abruptly reduced to bracts, articulated to ocreae;

ocrea 3–5 mm, papillose-scabridulous or glabrous, proximal part funnelform, distal part lacerate;

petiole 0.1–2 mm;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, ovate to elliptic or obovate, 5–15 × 4–7 mm, margins flat or narrowly revolute, papillose-denticulate, apex acute or mucronate.

axillary and terminal, spikelike;

cymes aggregated at tips of stems and branches, 4–6-flowered, bracts inconspicuous.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, slender;

cymes spaced along branches, 1–4-flowered.

enclosed in ocreae, 1–2 mm.

exserted from ocreae, reflexed, 1–2.5 mm.

closed;

perianth 1.8–2.4 mm;

tube 10–22% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, green or white, usually with pink, rarely red or white, margins, petaloid, not keeled, oblong to obovate, cucullate;

midveins usually unbranched;

stamens 7–8.

closed;

perianth (1.8–)2–2.6 mm;

tube 20–28% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, green or purple, with narrow whitish margins, petaloid or sepaloid, oblong, cucullate, navicular, apex rounded;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

enclosed in perianth, brown, ovate, 3-gonous, 1.3–2.3 mm, faces subequal, slightly concave, apex not beaked, with concave edges, shiny, smooth; late-season achenes unknown.

enclosed in perianth, black, elliptic to obovate, 2–2.5 mm, faces subequal, shiny, ± smooth.