Flora of North America species comparison

deciduous;

petiole 1–6.5 mm, glabrous;

blade (dark green adaxially), broadly elliptic, obovate, oblanceolate, or spatulate, 6–38 × 3–23 mm, base attenuate to cuneate, margins plane, apex rounded to obtuse, surfaces glabrous, tertiary and smaller veins not prominent (inconspicuously reticulate), midrib flat, marginal vein present.

alternate or whorled (fascicled) on short shoots, simple;

stipules present or absent;

petiole with decurrent, adaxial wing forming channel or groove;

blade margins entire;

venation pinnate.

4–12-flowered.

axillary, fasciculate or solitary flowers at leafy or defoliated nodes on older growth.

3–6 mm, glabrous.

calyx 1.8–3 mm diam.;

sepals 5, 1.7–3 × 0.9–1.9 mm, glabrous;

petals 5(–6), white to yellowish, median segment elliptic, 1.9–2.3 mm, lateral segments lanceolate, 1.3–2.3 mm;

stamens 5(–6), 2.2–2.9 mm;

staminodes lanceolate, 1.7–2.1 mm, minutely erose;

anthers lanceolate, 0.7–1 mm;

pistil 5-carpellate;

ovary 5-locular, 0.9–1.3 mm, hirsute to strigose basally;

style 2.2–2.8 mm.

bisexual [unisexual];

perianth and androecium hypogynous;

sepals [2–]4–8[–11], distinct;

petals 4–8[–9], connate proximally, lobes not divided or divided into 1 median and 2 lateral [abaxial] segments, corolla rotate, cyathiform, or tubular;

nectary disc present;

stamens 4–8[–12], antipetalous, epipetalous;

anthers dehiscent by longitudinal slits;

pistils 1, [1–]3–12[–30]-carpellate;

ovary superior, [1–]3–12[–15]-locular;

placentation axile, basal, or basiventral;

ovules anatropous or hemitropous, unitegmic, tenuinucellate;

styles 1, terminal, exserted or included;

stigmas 1, capitate or slightly lobed.

baccate [capsular].

purple to purplish black, ellipsoid, 8–12 mm, glabrous.

6–11 mm.

1–10, brown to black, shiny, indurate;

hilum prominent;

embryo vertical, oblique, or horizontal;

endosperm oily or absent.