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| 1 Pedicels and twigs densely stipitate-glandular |
| 1 Pedicels and twigs glabrous to pubescent, but not stipitate-glandular. |
| ..2 Leaves strongly white-glaucous beneath; stamens 4-6 mm long. |
| ....3 Bracts of the inflorescence nearly as large as normal foliage leaves; [of the Coastal Plain from se. NC southward] |
| ....3 Bracts of the inflorescence much smaller than normal foliage leaves; [of the Mountains and Piedmont] |
| ..2 Leaves green beneath (often slightly paler but not at all glaucous); stamens 5-8 mm long. |
| ......4 Bracts of the inflorescence nearly as large as normal foliage leaves; plants short, 0.2-0.5 (-1.0) m tall, distinctly clonal; [primarily of Coastal Plain pinelands] |
| ......4 Bracts of the inflorescence much smaller than normal foliage leaves; plants short to taller, 0.3-5 m tall, either clonal or crown-forming; [primarily of rocky or submesic habitats of the Piedmont and Mountains]. |
........5 Hypanthium and fruit pubescent |
| ........5 Hypanthium and fruit glabrous |