Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green-brown, simple or branched from base, not wiry, 2–5(–8) cm, glabrous.

prostrate to ascending, sometimes zigzagged, branched from base, not wiry, 5–50 cm.

± uniformly distributed, dense, not articulated to ocreae, basal leaves ± persistent, distal leaves gradually reduced to bracts;

ocrea 2–4(–5) mm, glabrous, proximal part cylindric, distal part deeply lacerate, disintegrating into white, curled fibers;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, without pleats, linear-lanceolate, subulate, 5–13(–20) × 0.4–1 mm, margins revolute, smooth, apex spine-tipped.

ocrea 2.5–12 mm, proximal part funnelform, distal part soon disintegrating, nearly completely deciduous or fibers persistent;

petiole 2–7 mm;

blade light green, sometimes purple tinged, elliptic to elliptic-obovate or obovate, 8–30(–50) × 4–15(–25) mm, margins flat, apex acute to obtuse;

middle stem leaves 1.1–2.1(–3.4) times as long as adjacent branch leaves, distal leaves overtopping flowers.

axillary;

cymes in most axils, 1-flowered.

axillary;

cymes uniformly distributed, 1–7(–10)-flowered.

absent.

enclosed in or sometimes exserted from ocreae, 1–2.5 mm.

closed;

perianth 1.5–2(–2.5) mm;

tube 6–15% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, usually reddish with white margins, petaloid, oblong, navicular, apex acute;

midveins unbranched;

stamens 8.

closed;

perianth (2.2–)2.5–4.5 mm;

tube 23–38% of perianth length;

tepals initially overlapping, pushed apart as achene develops, green, margins white to pink, petaloid, not keeled, oblong, cucullate;

midveins branched, sometimes not visible;

stamens 6–8.

slightly exserted from perianth at maturity, dark brown, ovate, 1.2–1.6(–2) mm, faces subequal, shiny, smooth.

exserted from perianth, brown to dark brown, broadly ovate to ovate-lanceolate, (2–)3-gonous, (1.8–)2–3.7(–4.5) mm, faces subequal or unequal, flat to concave, apex beaked, edges strongly concave, shiny to dull, roughened, rarely obscurely tubercled; late-season achenes common, 4–6 mm.