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2 Ultimate branches not rigidly ascending, flowers nearly always restricted to branches of the previous year, the leaves not conspicuously reduced toward the branch tips; leaves with distal margin usually revolute, sometimes strongly so; major veins usually depressed; lower leaf surface with some scales often large and with irregular margins, others smaller and more nearly entire, at least the smaller scales more-or-less persistent; shrub or small tree to 6 (-12) m tall | |
2 Ultimate branches rigidly ascending, flowers frequent on branches of the current year (though also on older growth), the leaves conspicuously reduced toward the branch tips; leaves with distal margin at most slightly revolute; major veins not depressed; lower leaf surface with scales usually all large and with irregular margins, the scales often deciduous; shrub to 1.5 (-3) m tall | |
4 Young twigs angled; leaf margin entire; corolla 7-14 mm long; inflorescence umbellate-racemose, in fascicles along previous year's (leafless) growth; capsule 4-6 mm long; leaf surfaces with tiny, red, short-stalked capitate glands (also often with spreading, translucent hairs on the main veins) | |
4 Young twigs terete; leaf margin minutely serrulate; corolla 3-5 mm long; inflorescence a terminal panicle; capsule 2.5-3 mm long; leaf surfaces with appressed, strigillose hairs, pale or white, with a red base. | |
5 Inflorescences naked, or with only a few leafy bracts; [Mountains, Piedmont, and (less commonly) Coastal Plain, especially northwards] |