Flora of North America species comparison

erect, simple or branched, slender, to 80 cm, subglabrous to retrorsely puberulent especially proximally, distal internodes frequently glutinous.

ascending, decumbent at base, branched, shortly rhizomatous, to 80 cm, softly pubescent, ± glandular, at least distally, rarely subglabrous.

2 per node;

blade with margins ciliate toward base, apex acute to obtuse;

basal blades oblanceolate, spatulate;

cauline narrowly oblanceolate to linear, 1–9 cm × 2–15 mm, scabrous or puberulent, rarely glabrous on both surfaces.

sessile at mid and distal stem, petiolate to spatulate proximally;

petiole equaling or longer than blade of basal leaves;

blade ovate to elliptic, 3–13 cm × 10–50 mm (not including petiole), apex acute to acuminate, sparingly pubescent, densely so on abaxial midrib.

cymose, open, branches usually ascending, several- to many-flowered, 1-flowered in depauperate specimens.

dichasial cymes, several- to many-flowered, open, bracteate;

bracts lanceolate, 4–20 × 2–7 mm, herbaceous, softly hairy throughout with long-septate hairs, not glandular, or with some glandular hairs.

ascending, 0.2–3 cm, usually shorter than calyx.

mature calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate to ovate, 5–9 × 3–5 mm, margins dentate, glabrous, veins parallel, with pale commissures;

lobes usually purple, triangular, acute, ca. 1 mm;

petals white, often suffused with dark red, rarely wholly dark red, limb ovate, usually 2-lobed, ca. 2.5 mm, slightly longer than calyx, rarely petals absent, claw narrow, appendages 0.1–0.4 mm;

stamens included;

styles 3;

stigmas included.

unisexual, some plants having only staminate flowers, others having only pistillate flowers, 20–25 mm diam.;

calyx 8–12-veined, campanulate, narrowly so in staminate flowers, broadly in pistillate, 10–15 × to 7 mm in flower, 11 mm broad in fruit, herbaceous, margins dentate, softly pubescent, lobes 5, erect, lanceolate, 2–3 mm;

petals bright pink, clawed, claw equaling or longer than calyx, limb spreading horizontally, broadly obovate, unlobed or 2-lobed, to 12 × 12 mm, appendages 4, ca. 1 mm;

stamens and stigmas equaling petal claw;

styles 5.

equaling calyx, opening by 6 teeth;

carpophore less than 1 mm.

broadly ovoid to globose, equaling and often splitting calyx, opening by 5 (splitting into 10) revolute teeth;

carpophore absent.

dull gray-black, reniform, 0.5–0.8 mm diam., finely papillate.

dark brown to black, broadly reniform, plump, 1–1.6 mm, densely and evenly papillate.

= 24.

= 24.