Flora of North America species comparison

prostrate, branched, 4-sided, 3–23 cm, internodes equaling or longer than leaves, glabrous, rarely pilose.

prostrate to ascending or erect, usually diffusely branched, sharply 4-angled, (5–)25–50 cm, glabrous to finely papillate, rarely pubescent.

sessile or short-petiolate;

blade broadly ovate to elliptic, 0.2–1.2 cm × 0.9–7 mm, base round or cuneate, margins entire, apex acute, shiny, glabrous or ciliate near base.

sessile;

blade linear-lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, rarely elliptic-lanceolate, 1–6 cm × 2–8 mm, base cuneate, margins eciliate or scabrid, sometimes ciliate towards base, apex acute.

with flowers solitary, axillary;

bracts absent.

with flowers solitary, terminal and axillary, or terminal, often copious, very lax, leafy cymes;

bracts foliaceous, lanceolate, reduced distally to ca. 2 mm, ± scarious.

spreading, 3–12 mm, glabrous.

erect or patent, usually reflexed at maturity, 10–40 mm, glabrous.

1.5–2 mm diam.;

sepals 4–5, veins obscure, midrib sometimes apparent, ± ovate, 1.5–3.5 mm, margins narrow, scarious, apex ± obtuse, glabrous;

petals absent;

stamens 10 or fewer;

styles 3(–4), curled, shorter than 0.5 mm.

3–5 mm;

sepals 5, 1–3-veined, lanceolate to ovate, 2–5 mm, margins scarious, apex acute, glabrous;

petals 5, rarely absent, white or translucent, 1–3 mm, usually shorter than sepals;

stamens 5;

styles 3, erect to spreading, 0.9–2 mm.

green to pale straw colored, translucent, globose to broadly ovoid, 2.3–3.5 mm, 1.9–2 times as long as sepals, apex obtuse, opening by 6 valves;

carpophore absent.

greenish brown or straw colored, ovoid, 3–7 mm, more than 1–1.5 times as long as broad, exceeding sepals, apex acute, opening by 3 valves;

carpophore very short or absent.

grayish black, broadly elliptic, 0.5–0.7 mm diam., finely reticulate.

10–20, brown, obovate, 0.7–0.9 mm on longest axis, smooth or slightly rugose.

= 26, 52, ca. 65, ca. 78.

= 52.