Flora of North America species comparison

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

ascending to spreading, striate, branched, 4-sided, 2–10 cm, glabrous, internodes usually shorter than leaves.

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 with prominent midrib, elliptic or lanceolate to oblanceolate, 0.1–1 cm × 0.5–4 mm, fleshy, base cuneate to spatulate, margins transparent, entire, narrow, apex acute, glabrous, rarely with few cilia near base, with sessile, often purple glands impressed on abaxial surface;

proximal leaves marcescent.

with flowers solitary, axillary;

bracts absent.

with flowers solitary in distal leaf axils, often ± concealed among leaves;

bracts, when present, paired near base of pedicel, with midrib, ovate-lanceolate, ca. 1 mm, scarious.

spreading, 3–12 mm, glabrous.

erect, becoming curved and deflexed distally, 3–15 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.

ca. 6 mm diam.;

sepals 5, purple tinged, outer prominently 3-veined, carinate, inner with midrib only, lanceolate, 3–4 mm, margins narrow, membranous, apex acute, glabrous;

petals 5, ca. 2 mm, shorter than sepals, blade apex deeply 2-fid, lobes narrowly elliptic;

stamens 5, inserted in prominent nectary disc;

styles 3, outwardly ascending, curved, 0.75 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.

green, becoming straw colored, ovoid-obtuse, ca. 3 mm, ± equaling and enclosed in sepals, opening with 6 teeth.

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

pale brown, reniform, 1–1.2 mm diam., not glossy, sides smooth to shallowly rugose, margins thickened with shallow, parallel, longitudinal ridges.

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