Flora of North America species comparison

trailing (nonflowering shoots ascending at tip), laxly branched, not bearing rosettes.

erect, pendulous, or prostrate, much-branched, not bearing basal rosettes.

erect, usually simple, 5–10(–15) cm;

leaf blades triangular-ovate, base short-spurred;

offsets not formed.

(axillary), ascending, usually simple, sometimes branched, 10–50 cm;

leaf blades elliptic-oblanceolate, base not spurred;

offsets not formed.

(usually deciduous, if persistent, then blade white, soft, papery), alternate, (densely imbricate), spreading, sessile;

blade yellow-green, not glaucous, triangular-ovate, terete to semiterete (elliptic in cross section), (2–)5(–8) × 1–4 mm, base obtusely short-spurred, not scarious, apex obtuse.

alternate, spreading, sessile;

blade green tinged with red, not glaucous, elliptic-oblanceolate, laminar, 40–80 × 13–25 mm, base not spurred, not scarious, apex rounded.

cymes, 2–12-flowered or flowers solitary, monochasially (1–)2(–3)-branched;

branches not recurved, rarely forked;

bracts similar to leaves, smaller.

elongated paniculate cymes, 50–300+-flowered, 3–25-branched;

branches not recurved, forked;

bracts similar to leaves, smaller.

absent or to 1 mm.

absent or to 1 mm.

5-merous;

sepals erect to spreading, distinct basally, green, oblong-ovate, unequal, 2–3 × 1.3–2.3, mm, apex obtuse;

petals spreading, distinct, bright yellow, oblong-ovate to lanceolate, not carinate, 5–9 mm, apex acute to acuminate;

filaments yellow;

anthers yellow, (oblong);

nectar scales yellowish green, square.

(4–)5(–6)-merous;

sepals erect, usually distinct, green, ovate, lanceolate, or elliptic-oblong, unequal, 1.5–9.6 × 1–3.2 mm, apex obtuse;

petals widely spreading, distinct or slightly connate basally, yellow, lanceolate, carinate, ca. 7.5 mm, apex acute or obtuse, mucronate;

filaments yellow;

anthers yellow;

nectar scales yellowish or translucent, subquadrate or reniform.

stellately patent in fruit, distinct, yellowish.

widely divergent in fruit, distinct, brown.

= 40, 60, 80, 100, 120.

= 68.