Flora of North America species comparison

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

several–many, erect, branched and decumbent at base, rarely simple, 20–80 cm.

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.

mainly cauline, 2 per node, sessile, almost clasping, reduced proximal to inflorescence, blade broadly oblong to oblanceolate or lanceolate, rarely ± linear, 2–8 cm × 5–30 mm, base round, apex acute to acuminate.

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

open dichasial cyme, 5–40-flowered, bracteate;

bracts much-reduced, lanceolate.

0.5–3 cm.

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.

bisexual and unisexual, some plants having bisexual flowers, others having pistillate unisexual flowers, 15–20 mm diam.;

calyx pale green, rarely purplish, campanulate, not contracted at mouth or base, inflated, 9–12 mm in flower, 12–18 × 7–11 mm in fruit, herbaceous, papery, venation obscure, reticulate, without conspicuous pale commissures, margins dentate, lobes broadly triangular, 2–3 mm, glabrous;

petals white, ca. 2 times as long as calyx;

limb obovate, emarginate to 2-lobed;

stamens exserted by 2–4 mm;

styles 3, cream to greenish, at most slightly pink tinged, 2 times longer than calyx.

equaling calyx, opening by 6 teeth;

carpophore less than 1 mm.

ovoid to globose, equaling calyx, opening by 6 teeth;

carpophore 2–3 mm.

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

black or nearly so, globose-reniform, 1–1.5 mm, finely tuberculate.

= 24.

= 24.