Flora of North America species comparison

usually single, erect and sometimes supported by adjacent plants (sprawling), base prostrate or decumbent-ascending to erect, often rooting, solid, not brittle, sometimes ± glaucous distally, proximally stellate-hairy, glabrate, hairs minute or larger and coarse (never simple only), usually 4-rayed, 0.5–1 mm.

clustered, erect to slightly ascending, base erect to decumbent-ascending, usually unbranched, (plants nearly scapose), solid, long-bristly with hairs often 2 mm, sometimes also stellate-hairy near base, usually becoming finely hispid distally.

basal and/or cauline, similar in size and shape;

stipules linear to lanceolate, 2–3 × 1.1 mm;

petiole (1–)5–10(–15) cm, longest on proximal leaves, 1–4 times longer on proximal leaves to 1/2 times to as long as blade on distal leaves;

blade usually shallowly to deeply palmately 3–7-lobed usually halfway to base, proximal and distal cauline blades rounded to reniform, 2–3 × 2–5 cm, usually wider than long, base cordate to truncate, margins crenate, apex blunt or rounded, lobes narrowest at base, margins usually apically coarsely toothed, rarely entire, surfaces stellate-puberulent.

mostly basal, cauline 1–3;

stipules lanceolate, 3–5 × 1 mm;

petiole 6–9 cm, basal 2 times blade length, cauline 1/2 times blade length;

blade usually orbiculate, 2–5(–6) × 2–5(–6) cm, base cordate, apex rounded, basal deeply dissected into 3–7 primary lobes, each less deeply incised and somewhat ternate, ultimate segments linear to oblong-elliptic, margins entire, distal blades repeatedly dissected with linear segments, surfaces densely hirtellous and stellate-hairy abaxially, less hairy with mostly simple hairs adaxially.

ascending or erect, often spiciform, open, calyces not overlapping in flower or fruit, unbranched or branched, 2–15(–30)-flowered, elongate in both flower and fruit, usually 1-sided, 6–11(–30) cm;

bracts leaflike to linear, usually 2-fid, (2–)3–5(–15) mm.

erect or ascending, spiciform, initially dense, later open, calyces not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in fruit, usually unbranched, usually 20+-flowered, proximal flowers remotely, evenly spaced, elongated in fruit, often 1-sided if ascending and not 1-sided when strictly erect, 15–30(–40) cm, elongating with fruits spaced, axis often wine-red;

bracts linear, usually undivided, 2.5–4 mm, usually ± equaling or longer than pedicels.

2–5(–10) mm;

involucellar bractlets absent.

1–2(–3) mm;

involucellar bractlets absent.

bisexual or unisexual and pistillate, plants gynodioecious;

calyx 5–12 mm, uniformly densely stellate-puberulent;

petals pink to pale purple, pale-veined, (5–)10–28 mm, pistillate flowers darker, 5–15 mm;

staminal column 4–5 mm, stellate-puberulent;

anthers white;

stigmas (6 or)7 or 8.

bisexual or unisexual and pistillate, similar in size, plants gynodioecious;

calyx usually wine-red, 4–5(–7) mm, usually not accrescent, finely stellate-puberulent, marginal hairs longer and often simple;

petals dark rose-pink, sometimes pale-veined, 7–10(–12) mm;

staminal column 3–5 mm, sparsely hairy;

anthers white;

stigmas 5–8.

1.5–2.8 mm.

2 mm.

6–8 mm diam.;

mericarps (6 or)7 or 8, 3–4 mm, usually glandular-puberulent to stellate-puberulent, sometimes glabrous, roughened, strongly reticulate-veined, sides and back pitted, mucro 0.5–1 mm.

5 mm diam.;

mericarps 5–8, somewhat inflated, 2.5 mm, glabrous, smooth, back lightly grooved, not reticulate-veined or pitted, mucro 0.2–0.3 mm.

= 20.