Flora of North America species comparison

long-creeping, branched, branches 2–3-forked, flat, not articulate, glabrous.

radially symmetric, creeping or decumbent, not readily fragmenting, irregularly forked, without budlike arrested branches, tips straight;

main stem indeterminate, lateral branches conspicuously or inconspicuously determinate, often strongly ascending, 1–3-forked.

delicate and papery.

monomorphic, in alternate pseudowhorls of 5, tightly appressed, ascending, green, linear-lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, 2–3.5 × 0.35–0.5 mm (smaller on lateral branches);

abaxial ridges prominent;

base cuneate and decurrent to rounded and adnate on young lateral branches or buds, glabrous or sometimes pubescent;

margins long-ciliate, cilia transparent, spreading to ascending, 0.07–0.17 mm;

apex keeled, truncate in profile, obtuse to attenuate;

bristle white to whitish or transparent, puberulent, 0.45–0.8 mm.

paired, 0.6–1.1 cm;

sporophylls monomorphic, ovate-lanceolate, keeled, keel not dentate, base glabrous, margins green, entire or with a few scattered, short cilia, apex acute to acuminate.

solitary, 0.5–2.5 cm;

sporophylls deltate-ovate to ovate-lanceolate, abaxial ridges well defined, base glabrous, margins ciliate, apex truncate in profile, bristled.

borne on underside of stems throughout stem length or restricted to proximal ± 2/3 of main stem or axillary throughout stem, 0.2–0.4 mm diam.

borne on upperside of stems, throughout stem length, 0.2–0.37 mm diam.

leaves spreading or slightly ascending, distant, shiny green becoming shiny brown, with orange or red spot or entirely reddish, ovate to ovate-oblong or oblong, 1.5–3.2 X (1–)1.5–2.2 mm;

base auriculate, basiscopic auricle conspicuous, acroscopic auricle inconspicuous or base ± rounded;

margins green, ciliate toward auricles, otherwise entire;

apex rounded to obtuse or truncate.

leaves ovate-oblong, (1.8–)2–2.2 × 1–1.3 mm;

base auriculate, outer auricle larger than inner one;

margins green, ciliate at auricles, otherwise entire;

apex abruptly cuspidate to bristled.

= 18.