Flora of North America species comparison

erect, simple or branched, slender, to 80 cm, subglabrous to retrorsely puberulent especially proximally, distal internodes frequently glutinous.

simple but with short axillary leafy shoots, leafy, 40–60 cm, glossy, ± glabrous, with 10–20 nodes proximal to inflorescence.

2 per node;

blade with margins ciliate toward base, apex acute to obtuse;

basal blades oblanceolate, spatulate;

cauline narrowly oblanceolate to linear, 1–9 cm × 2–15 mm, scabrous or puberulent, rarely glabrous on both surfaces.

basal withered at time of flowering;

cauline whorled, appearing fasciculate (more than 4) at each node, connate at base, reduced distally, tapered at both ends, blade linear to very narrowly elliptic-lanceolate, 0.5–8 cm × 1–12 mm, base broadened, margins scabrous, apex acute, subglabrous to minutely puberulent on both surfaces.

cymose, open, branches usually ascending, several- to many-flowered, 1-flowered in depauperate specimens.

thyrsate, verticillate, open, with many short, ascending branches bearing large numbers of small, unisexual flowers, bracteate;

bracts connate basally, triangular, 2–10 mm, margins finely ciliate, apex acuminate.

ascending, straight, fasciculate, wiry, ± equaling calyx, glabrous or sparsely and minutely puberulent.

mature calyx prominently 10-veined, campanulate to ovate, 5–9 × 3–5 mm, margins dentate, glabrous, veins parallel, with pale commissures;

lobes usually purple, triangular, acute, ca. 1 mm;

petals white, often suffused with dark red, rarely wholly dark red, limb ovate, usually 2-lobed, ca. 2.5 mm, slightly longer than calyx, rarely petals absent, claw narrow, appendages 0.1–0.4 mm;

stamens included;

styles 3;

stigmas included.

mostly unisexual;

calyx pale green, indistinctly 10-veined, elliptic, constricted near base, umbilicate, ca. 5 × 2 mm, lobes with thickened midrib, ovate-obtuse, 0.2 mm, margins crenate, membranous;

corolla greenish white, clawed, claw and limb not differentiated, narrowly oblong, unlobed, less than 2 times length of calyx, appendages absent;

stamens exserted, longer than corolla;

styles 3, exserted, longer than corolla.

equaling calyx, opening by 6 teeth;

carpophore less than 1 mm.

green, ovoid-conic, longer than calyx, opening by 6 teeth;

carpophore shorter than 1 mm.

dull gray-black, reniform, 0.5–0.8 mm diam., finely papillate.

brown, winged, reniform, ca. 1 mm, faces with shallow radiating ridges.

= 24.