Flora of North America species comparison

unbranched or branched distally, 80–200 cm.

erect, sparsely to densely villous proximally, sometimes glabrous distally.

proximal leaves: withering, petiole 2–4 mm, blade lanceolate to broadly lanceolate or elliptic, (40–)70–140 × 10–36 mm;

distal leaves: petiole 0.1–3 mm, blade lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate or elliptic, 20–40 × 3–10 mm.

cauline, whorled, rarely opposite;

petiole present;

blade not fleshy, not leathery, margins serrate to doubly serrate.

1–8(–12), continuous, cylindric, 6–35 cm;

bracts leaflike, smaller distally, (4–)12–75 × 1–12 mm;

cymes 1- or 2-flowered.

terminal, spikelike racemes;

peduncle absent;

bracts present.

ascending, 0.3–1.2 mm, glabrous;

bracteoles linear-lanceolate to linear.

present;

bracteoles present.

calyx glabrous, lobes 1.2–3 × 0.5–1 mm, abaxial 2 shorter than abaxial (2 or)3;

corolla 4–5.5(–6.5) mm, glabrous externally, obscurely pubescent internally, tube not differentiated from throat, 1–1.3 mm diam., lobes spreading, broadly ovate to triangular, 1.2–2.2 mm, abaxial 3 narrower than adaxial 1;

stamens long-exserted, filaments 7–9 mm; nectariferous ring at base of ovary;

style 7–9 mm.

bisexual;

sepals (4 or)5, proximally connate, calyx bilaterally symmetric, cylindric, lobes lanceolate;

corolla white or pinkish, weakly bilaterally symmetric, weakly bilabiate, tubular-salverform, tube base not spurred or gibbous, lobes 4, abaxial 3, adaxial 1;

stamens 2, proximally adnate to corolla, filaments pubescent proximally;

staminode 0;

ovary 2-locular, placentation axile;

stigma capitate.

capsules, dehiscence loculicidal, sometimes also septicidal, becoming 2- or apparently 4-valved distally.

ovoid to ellipsoid, 2.5–4.5(–5.2) × 1.8–2.3 mm, glabrous.

0.3–0.7 × 0.2–0.4 mm.

10–30, brown or reddish brown, ellipsoid, wings absent.

= 34.