Flora of North America species comparison

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

prostrate to ascending, branched at proximal and middle nodes, not wiry, 20–100 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 6.5–12 mm, proximal part cylindric, pruinose, distal part hyaline, soon disintegrating into brown fibers or nearly completely deciduous;

petiole 0–1 mm;

blade green to bluish green, elliptic-lanceolate to linear, 10–35 × 1.5–15 mm, margins flat or narrowly revolute, apex acute;

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

axillary and terminal, spikelike, subglobose to cylindric;

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

axillary, cymes uniformly distributed, 2–7-flowered.

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

exserted from ocreae, 2.5–5(–7) 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 3.5–5.5 mm;

tube 28–39% of perianth length;

tepals slightly overlapping, green, margins white to pink, petaloid, not keeled, oblong to obovate, not cucullate;

veins branched;

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, pale brown to dark brown, ovate, 3-gonous, (3.5–)4.1–5.5(–6.5) mm, faces subequal, apex not beaked, edges straight, shiny, smooth or with fine tubercles especially toward apex; late-season achenes unknown.