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.

single or in dense patches, erect, solid, hairy, hairs simple, spreading, bristly.

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.

cauline, evenly arrayed on stem;

stipules asymmetric-ovate and auriculate, 10–20 × 10–20 mm, width exceeding stem diam.;

petioles of proximal leaves 7–10 cm, gradually reduced distally to 2 cm, 1–1 1/2 times blade length proximally to 1/2 blade length distally;

blade ovate to elliptic, unlobed, usually (4–)7–8 × (2.5–)4–5 cm, reduced distally, base cordate, margins crenate-serrate, apex acute to rounded, surfaces glabrous abaxially, sparsely hirsute 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, capitate, ± dense, calyces overlapping, unbranched, 2–10-flowered, not elongate, not 1-sided, 3–5 cm;

proximalmost bracts involucrelike, similar to stipules in size and shape, narrowed to linear distally, usually divided to base, 10–20 mm, longer than pedicels, equaling or slightly shorter than calyx.

2–5(–10) mm;

involucellar bractlets absent.

1–2 mm;

involucellar bractlets 3, 8–12 mm, equaling or longer than calyx.

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;

calyx 8 mm, sparsely to densely bristly, sometimes also stellate-hairy;

petals pink, usually pale-veined, 15 mm;

staminal column 4–6 mm, hairy;

anthers white;

stigmas 7 or 8.

1.5–2.8 mm.

1.9 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.

4–5 mm diam.;

mericarps 7 or 8, 2 mm, glabrous, smooth, back with medial line, mucro absent.