 |
herbs, or low spineless shrubs; NOT
[spiny shrub, 1-2 m high] |
 |
plants not prickly; NOT [plant prickly
from the spine-tipped thread-like leaves and from bracts] |
 |
stems not fleshy |
 |
stems not jointed |
 |
stems tomentose to densely
glandular-villous; NOT [stems not tomentose to densely villous] |
 |
leaves mostly alternate; NOT [leaves
opposite] |
 |
leaves not reduced to scales |
 |
leaves narrow, linear; NOT [leaves broad,
often hastate], NOT [leaves flat, wavy-edged, ovate] |
 |
leaves usually turning red when mature |
 |
NOT [flowers axillary and sunk into the
fleshy stem] |
 |
flowers not subtended by scarious bracts |
 |
flowers lacking bracteoles; NOT
[pistillate flowers with a pair of bracteoles, occasionally 3] |
 |
calyx with 5 sepals |
 |
sepals greenish, herbaceous or fleshy;
NOT [sepals scarious, dry and membranous] |
 |
calyx in fruit developing horizontal
scarious wings but not slender hooked spines |
 |
flowers perfect or pistillate |
 |
5 stamens
|