Flora of North America species comparison

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

diffusely branched, 4-angled, 3–30 cm, glabrous.

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 or subsessile;

blade with midrib obscure, broadly elliptic-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, widest at or above middle, 0.2–0.8(–1.5) cm × to 2 mm, ± succulent, base cuneate, margins entire, apex acute to acuminate, glabrous;

leaf blades in terminal buds sometimes become fleshy and form gemmae.

with flowers solitary, axillary;

bracts absent.

with flowers usually solitary, terminal and in axils of distal leaves forming open, diffuse cymes;

bracts foliaceous, 1–10 mm; 1 or 2 pairs of bracteoles sometimes present, 1–3 mm, herbaceous or with narrow membranous margins.

spreading, 3–12 mm, glabrous.

erect or sharply angled at base, becoming sharply curved at apex, 3–40 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.

5–8 mm;

sepals 5, 3-veined, narrowly triangular-lanceolate, 3–3.5(–4) mm, margins straight, narrow, scarious, apex acute, glabrous or rarely margins pubescent;

petals 5, 2.5–5 mm, equaling to slightly longer than sepals;

stamens 5 or 10;

styles 3, ascending, curved at tip, ca. 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.

straw colored, conic to ellipsoid, 4–5 mm, longer than sepals, apex obtuse, opening by 6 valves;

carpophore absent.

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

reddish brown, reniform to round, 0.7–1 mm diam., rugose.

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

= 26.