Flora of North America species comparison

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

spreading to erect, zigzagged, green, simple or branched from base, wiry, 5–12(–15) cm, glabrous.

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;

ocrea 2–5 mm, glabrous, proximal part funnelform, distal part lacerate;

petiole essentially absent;

blade 1-veined, not pleated, oblanceolate to obovate, 5–20 × 2–5 mm, margins revolute, never touching along midrib, sparsely papillose-denticulate, apex rounded or apiculate.

axillary and terminal, spikelike;

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

axillary and terminal, spikelike, dense;

cymes congested at tips of stems and branches, 3–5-flowered.

enclosed in ocreae, 1–2 mm.

enclosed in ocreae, erect to spreading, 2–3 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.

open;

perianth 2–2.5 mm;

tube 12–25% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, uniformly white, petaloid, oblong to obovate, cucullate, navicular in distal 1/4, 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 or exserted from perianth, black, ovate to ovate-oblong, 1.8–2.1 mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.