Flora of North America species comparison

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

erect or straggling, branched, square, 10–35 cm, glabrous but angles minutely papillate-scabrid.

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 green to yellowish green, never glaucous, linear to very narrowly elliptic, widest at or beyond middle, 0.8–4 cm × 1–3 mm, not coriaceous, base attenuate, apex acuminate to acute, glabrous to sparingly ciliate at base, margins minutely papillate-scabrid;

proximal leaves shorter and wider.

with flowers solitary, axillary;

bracts absent.

terminal, widely divaricate, 2–many-flowered cymes;

bracts lanceolate, 1–5 mm, scarious, apex acuminate.

spreading, 3–12 mm, glabrous.

straight or somewhat arcuate, commonly 3–30 mm, glabrous or scabrous.

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.

5–9 mm diam.;

sepals 5, obscurely 3-veined, ovate-elliptic, 2–4 mm, margins scarious, apex acute, glabrous;

petals 5, 2–3.5 mm, ± equaling sepals;

stamens 5–10;

styles 3, ascending, ca. 1 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.

blackish purple or straw colored, ovoid-conic, 3–6 mm, much longer than sepals, opening by 6 valves;

carpophore absent.

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

brown, broadly reniform, 0.7–0.8 mm diam., slightly rugose.

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

= 26.