Flora of North America species comparison

ascending or, more frequently, procumbent, rooting at nodes, giving rise to secondary tufts or rosettes, few- to many-branched, slender.

ascending to decumbent, much-branched, filiform, glabrous or sometimes glandular-pubescent.

axillary fascicles often present on procumbent stems;

basal frequently in primary rosettes in younger plants;

blade linear, 8–17 mm, herbaceous, apex apiculate to somewhat aristate, glabrous;

cauline not conspicuously connate basally, never forming an inflated cup, blade linear, 4–15 mm proximally, becoming shorter toward apex, 2.5–6 mm distally, sometimes slightly fleshy, apex apiculate to aristate, rarely with minute glandular cilia.

axillary fascicles absent;

basal sometimes in rosettelike whorl, withering early;

cauline leaves connate basally, proximal blades linear, 4–8(–12) mm, not fleshy, apex aristate, with hyaline portion of leaf base long-ciliate, cilia occasionally occurring length of leaf (sometimes lacking cilia), distal blades linear to subulate, 1–3 mm toward apex.

frequently recurved during capsule development, filiform, glabrous.

filiform, glandular-pubescent.

axillary or terminal, 4-merous, occasionally 4- and 5-merous;

calyx base glabrous;

sepals elliptic to orbiculate, 1.5–(–2.5) mm, hyaline margins white, never purple tinged, apex obtuse to rounded, appressed during capsular development, divergent following dehiscence;

petals (1–)4(–5), orbiculate to elliptic, 0.8–1(–1.5) mm, shorter than or equaling sepals, or sometimes absent;

stamens 4 (8).

axillary, sometimes terminal, 4-merous, very rarely 4- and 5-merous;

calyx glandular-pubescent;

sepals ovoid to elliptic, sometimes lanceolate, 1.5–2 mm, hyaline margins white, apex somewhat acute, glandular-pubescent, divergent at capsule dehiscence;

petals nearly always absent, minute if present;

stamens 4(–5).

(1.5–)2–2.5(–3) mm, slightly exceeding sepals, dehiscing to base.

1.5–2(–2.5) mm, equaling or barely longer than sepals, dehiscing to base.

brown, obliquely triangular with distinct abaxial groove, (0.3–)0.4(–0.5) mm, smooth to pebbled.

brown, obliquely triangular with abaxial groove, 0.3–0.4 mm, smooth, pebbled, or frequently papillose.

= 22.

= 12.