Flora of North America species comparison

perennial, prostrate to clambering, branching, slender, to 1 m, ± woody, densely woolly-pubescent, usually prickly (especially at base).

perennial, climbing, branching, terete, 5+ m × 15 mm, woody, glaucous, glabrous;

prickles dark, flat, to 12 mm, rigid.

mostly evergreen, ± evenly disposed;

petiole 0.05–0.25 cm, often longer on sterile shoots;

blade gray-green, drying to ashy gray-green, obovate to ovate-lanceolate, with 3 prominent veins, 6–10.5 × 5–8 cm, glabrous adaxially, densely puberulent abaxially, base cordate to deeply notched, margins entire, apex bluntly pointed.

evergreen, ± evenly arranged;

petiole 0.5–1.5 cm;

blade abaxially green, drying to pale brown to brownish green, oblong-elliptic, lance-elliptic, or, sometimes, linear or broadly ovate, not prominently reticulate, 3-veined from base, 7–13 × 1.3–4(–6) cm, coriaceous, not glaucous, glabrous or minutely pubescent abaxially, base attenuate to rounded;

margins entire, often revolute, teeth absent;

apex acute to rounded, often mucronate.

1–7, axillary to leaves, 5–16-flowered, loose, spherical;

peduncle 0.2–0.8 cm, shorter than to 1.5 as long as petiole of subtending leaf.

numerous, axillary to leaves, generally on short branches, 5–12(–25)-flowered, ± open, spherical;

peduncle 0.5–1.5 cm, shorter than subtending leaf.

perianth yellowish;

tepals 3–4 mm;

anthers much shorter than filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel thin, 0.1–0.4 cm.

perianth yellow, cream, or white;

tepals 4–5 mm;

anthers exceeding filaments;

ovule 1 per locule;

pedicel 0.5-1 cm.

red, ovoid, 5–8 mm, with acute beaks, not glaucous.

black, ovoid, 5–8 mm, shining, glaucous.

forming extensive colonies;

rhizomes irregularly branched, tuberous, woody.