Flora of North America species comparison

erect, green, usually divaricately branched, rarely simple, ± wiry, (2–)6–20(–25) cm, glabrous.

prostrate to ascending, branched from base, not wiry, 20–70 cm.

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

ocrea 4–8 mm, glabrous, proximal part cylindric, distal part silvery, with inconspicuous veins, lacerate;

petiole absent;

blade 3-veined, lateral veins sometimes inconspicuous, without pleats, narrowly linear, 10–40 × 1–2.5 mm, margins ± revolute, smooth, apex acute or mucronate.

ocrea persistent, 7–15 mm, proximal part cylindric, pruinose, distal parts silvery, margins overlapping, entire or lacerate;

petiole 0.5–3 mm;

blade bluish green, lanceolate, 10–30 × 2–8 mm, coriaceous, margins revolute, apex obtuse or acute, rugulose when fresh, markedly rugulose when dried, glaucous;

middle stem leaves slightly larger than adjacent branch leaves, distal leaves overtopping flowers they subtend.

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

cymes in most axils or crowded distally, 1–3-flowered.

axillary;

cymes uniformly distributed, 1–3-flowered.

enclosed in ocreae, erect, 0.1–2 mm, sometimes absent.

enclosed in ocreae, 3–5 mm.

mostly closed;

perianth 1.5–3 mm;

tube 19–40% of perianth length;

tepals overlapping, uniformly white, pink, or red, petaloid, oblong-lanceolate, ± navicular, apex acute to acuminate;

midveins usually unbranched or with 2 lateral branches proximally, moderately to strongly thickened, tepals appearing ± keeled;

stamens 3–8.

semi-open;

perianth (2–)3–4 mm;

tube 12–26% of perianth length;

tepals ± recurved, overlapping, white, margins white or pink, petaloid, not keeled, oblong-obovate to spatulate, not cucullate;

midvein usually unbranched;

stamens 8.

enclosed in perianth, light yellow, light brown, or greenish brown to dark brown, ovate to lanceolate, 1.3–2.5 mm, faces subequal, shiny or dull, smooth or reticulate with longitudinal ridges.

exserted from perianth, reddish brown to dark brown, ovate, 3-gonous, 2.5–3(–4) mm, faces subequal, apex not beaked, edges straight, shiny, smooth; late-season achenes common, 3–5 mm.

= 40.