Flora of North America species comparison

erect, trailing, or decumbent;

branches flexible at base, usually not glaucous (usually slightly or highly glossy).

usually arctica-type (alba-type in S. athabascensis), scale margins connate.

stipules marcescent, rudimentary or foliaceous on early ones, foliaceous on late ones, usually prominent, linear to lanceolate, 2–17 mm, apex acuminate;

petiole 4–27 mm, pilose adaxially;

largest medial blade oblanceolate or obovate to narrowly elliptic, 43–82 × 12–39 mm, 2.2–4.8 times as long as wide, base cuneate or convex, apex acuminate or convex, abaxial surface very densely to sparsely villous-tomentose or short-silky, hairs straight, wavy, or curved, adaxial long-silky or pilose to glabrescent;

proximal blade margins entire;

juvenile blade densely villous or long-silky.

stipules usually absent or rudimentary, sometimes foliaceous;

petiole shallowly or deeply grooved, convex, or flat adaxially, often not glandular, sometimes with 1 or 2 pairs of spherical glands distally;

largest medial blade amphistomatous, hemiamphistomatous, or hypostomatous, (usually pinnately veined), narrowly to broadly elliptic, obovate, subcircular, circular, oblanceolate, narrowly oblong, oblong, or broadly obovate, 0.8–5.5 times as long as wide, angle of base and of apex usually less than or greater than 90o, (abaxial surface usually glaucous), surface hairs usually white, rarely ferruginous;

juvenile blade (usually yellowish green), hairs usually white, rarely ferruginous.

abaxial nectary 0.1–0.6 mm, adaxial nectary narrowly oblong, oblong, or square, 0.6–0.9 mm;

filaments distinct, glabrous.

abaxial nectary present or absent;

stamens 2 (1 in S. uva-ursi);

filaments distinct or connate, glabrous or hairy;

anthers usually purple, or red turning yellow.

adaxial nectary sometimes flask-shaped;

stipe 0.5–2.8 mm;

ovary obclavate or pyriform, densely tomentose, short-silky, or pubescent, beak gradually tapering to styles;

ovules 12–22 per ovary;

styles connate to distinct 1/2 their lengths, 0.3–1.4 mm;

stigmas slenderly to broadly cylindrical, 0.4–0.59–0.8 mm.

abaxial nectary absent or present;

ovary usually not glaucous, hairy or glabrous, hairs flattened, ribbonlike, or cylindrical, beak abruptly or gradually tapering to styles or slightly bulged below styles;

ovules 4–23 per ovary;

styles usually connate;

stigmas flat, abaxially non-papillate with rounded tip, or stigmas slenderly or broadly cylindrical, or 2 plump lobes.

5–9 mm.

staminate 19–45 × 9–17 mm, flowering branchlet 2–9 mm;

pistillate slender to stout, 24–83 × 8–17 mm, flowering branchlet 3–37 mm;

floral bract tawny, light brown, or bicolor, 1.5–2.5 mm, apex convex to rounded, hairs wavy.

flowering as leaves emerge, usually from lateral buds (sometimes subterminal);

staminate on flowering branchlet or sessile;

pistillate on flowering branchlet, usually stout, globose, or subglobose, sometimes slender;

floral bract brown, tawny, or bicolor, apex usually entire, sometimes toothed;

pistillate bract usually persistent after flowering.

= 76, 95, 114.