Flora of North America species comparison

usually erect, rarely ascending, branched above middle, 25–90(–100) cm.

branched from base or near base, occasionally simple, slender, 5–50 cm.

ocrea prominent and persistent at maturity, whitish or silvery white, membranous;

blade oblong, oblong-elliptic, or obovate-lanceolate, (5–)8–30 × 2–8(–12) cm, base cuneate or narrowly cuneate, margins entire, flat or indistinctly crisped, apex acute or acuminate, rarely obtuse.

ocrea deciduous or partially persistent;

blade spatulate, lanceolate, or ovate-lanceolate, 1–5(–8) × (0.5–)1–2.5 cm, base cuneate, rarely rounded, margins normally entire, flat, apex obtuse.

terminal, occupying distal 1/2 of stem, narrowly paniculate, rarely simple.

terminal, simple, racemose, occupying most of stem, interrupted, linear.

articulated near middle or in proximal 1/3, filiform, 5–15(–20) mm, articulation indistinct.

usually distinctly heteromorphic (much thickened distally), 4–7(–10) mm;

others less than 4 mm.

5–20 in whorls;

inner tepals oblong-cordate or orbiculate-cordate, 11–16 × 9.5–14 mm, base sinuate or emarginate, margins entire, rarely with few extremely small denticles at base, apex obtuse or subacute;

tubercles absent.

2–3(–4) in lax clusters (reduced whorls);

inner tepals variable, often heteromorphic, triangular, narrowly triangular, ligulate, or ovate-oblong, (1.5–)2–4(–5) × (0.5–)1–3 mm (excluding teeth), base truncate, margins usually dentate, sometimes entire, apex obtuse or acute, usually not hooked, teeth 2–4(–8), at each side of margins, slender, straight or hooked, 0.3–1 mm;

tubercles absent, or 3, usually represented by minute swellings barely recognizable as tubercles.

brown or reddish brown, 4–5(–7) × 2.5–4.5(–5) mm.

brown to dark brown, 1.3–2.3 × 0.7–1.4 mm.

= 40.

= 16.