Flora of North America species comparison

erect to straggling, branched or not, 4-angled, 3–32 cm, glabrous or softly pubescent, angles not minutely papillate-scabrid.

prostrate, much-branched, 4-sided, usually 10–20(–40) cm, glabrous, with single line of hairs along each internode.

sessile;

blade green, frequently glaucous, 1–3-veined, midrib prominent, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, widest at base, 0.4–2.6(–4) cm × 1–4 mm, strongly coriaceous or not, base round, margins entire, convex, glabrous or ciliate, apex acute to acuminate, not spinescent, shiny, smooth, glabrous or sparingly villous, base usually glabrous, rarely with few cilia.

petiolate (proximal) or sessile (distal);

blade ovate to elliptic, usually 0.3–1.5 cm × 1–7 mm, base round to cuneate, margins entire, apex shortly acuminate, glabrous or with few cilia on margins and abaxial midrib.

with flowers solitary, or terminal, 3–30-flowered (rarely more) cymes;

bracts lanceolate, 2–10 mm, herbaceous with scarious margins, or scarious throughout, glabrous or ciliate.

terminal, 3–35-flowered cymes;

bracts lanceolate, 2–10 mm, herbaceous, margins entire.

ascending to erect, straight, 5–30 mm, glabrous or softly pubescent.

spreading, sometimes deflexed at base in fruit, 1–10 mm, pubescent.

5–10 mm diam.;

sepals 5, 3-veined, midrib prominent, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 3.5–5 mm, margins convex, narrow, scarious, sometimes ciliate, apex acute, glabrous or pubescent;

petals 5, 3–8 mm, 1–1.5 times as long as sepals;

stamens 5–10;

styles 3(–6), ascending, curled at tip, ca. 1.5 mm.

2–3 mm diam.;

sepals 4–5, veins obscure, midrib sometimes present, lanceolate, 3–4 mm, margins narrow, herbaceous, apex acute, pubescent;

petals usually absent;

stamens 1–3 or absent;

anthers gray-violet;

styles 3, ascending, becoming curled, 0.2–0.5 mm.

blackish purple or straw colored, ovoid to ovoid-lanceoloid, 4–6 mm, 1.5–2 times as long as sepals, apex broadly acute, opening by 6 valves;

carpophore absent.

pale straw colored, ovoid, 2–4(–5) mm, equaling to slightly longer than sepals, apex obtuse, opening by 6 valves, outwardly curled at tip;

carpophore absent.

brown, reniform to globose, 0.6–0.9 mm diam., shallowly tuberculate to smooth.

pale yellowish brown, reniform to round, 0.5–0.9 mm diam., tuberculate;

tubercles prominent, broader than tall, apex obtuse.

= 52–104, (107).

= 22.