Monoecious or dioecious; cal 5-7-lobed; pet mostly as many as and about equaling the sep in staminate fls, but reduced or wanting in pistillate fls; stamens (3-)8-20+, inflexed in bud; anthers elongate; disk present; ovary (2)3-locular, with 1 ovule per locule; styles distinct or nearly so, bifid or dissected; fr capsular; seeds (1-)3, carunculate; herbs, shrubs, or trees with stellate pubescence, the small fls borne chiefly in condensed, spike-like, terminal infls. 600+, cosmop.
In addition to the following spp., the southwestern sp. C. lindheimerianus Scheele has been reported from Ill. It is a diffusely branched, monoecious annual with entire lvs and 3 styles, each bifid to the base.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.
