Flora of North America species comparison

petiole channeled, 2–5 × 1–2 mm, densely pubescent to glabrate;

blade drying yellowish green, grayish green, or reddish brown, elliptic, oblong, elliptic-oblanceolate, elliptic-obovate, or lanceolate, 4.5–14 × 2.4–7.5 cm, 1.6–3.8 times as long as wide, leathery to submembranous, midvein prominent abaxially, impressed adaxially, lateral veins 9–22 pairs, prominent, ascending (at ca. 45°), nearly straight, curving upward near margin and connecting with next lateral vein, smaller veins connecting laterals in ladderlike to reticulate pattern, base rounded to slightly cordate, apex acute, acuminate, or rounded, surfaces densely to sparsely appressed-pubescent abaxially, glabrate adaxially (except midvein puberulent).

sometimes drought deciduous, opposite;

blade venation usually brochidodromous.

1- or 3-flowered, borne in leaf axils;

bracteoles linearto narrowly triangular, 2–5 mm, sparsely pubescent.

1- or 3-flowered, axillary, solitary flowers or dichasia;

bracteoles caducous.

1–3.5 cm × 1–1.5 mm, terete.

bud subfusiform to pyriform, 10–17 mm, sometimes strongly constricted near midpoint, apex usually conic;

hypanthium to summit of ovary obconic, ca. 1/2 as long as closed flower bud;

calyx closed, conicin bud, tearing irregularly as bud opens, persisting or falling in ca. 3 parts;

petals obovate to elliptic, 13–22 mm;

disc 4–6 mm across;

stamens 280–720,7–15 mm;

anthers 0.7–1 mm;

style 10–15 mm;

stigma ca. 0.5 mm wide;

ovary 3–6-locular;

ovules 90–180 per locule (multiseriate).

usually 5-merous, sessile or pedicellate;

hypanthium obconic;

calyx lobes distinct or connate beyond summit of ovary to form calyx tube, sometimes forming calyptra (in closed flower bud, calyptra completely closed or open only as a terminal pore, tearing regularly into 5 lobes or irregularly);

petals whitish;

stamens [100–]280–720;

ovary [2- or]3–6-locular;

placenta bilamelate, often protruding as a peltate structure;

ovules 12–180 per locule, biseriate or multiseriate.

berries, green, yellow, or red, pyriform, globose, or subglobose.

aromatic, green or yellow, with pink or white flesh inside, globose or pyriform, 20–60(–80) mm.

usually 50+, subreniform,3–4 mm, ± smooth.

few–100+;

seed coat dull, bony, densely woody, ca. 9–30 cells thick at narrowest point, covered with thin layer of pulpy tissue when wet, or glaze or crusty tissue when dry;

embryo curved;

cotyledons usually reflexed, linear to elliptic, shorter than hypocotyl.