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annual abronia, trans montane abronia, trans montane sand verbena

amelia's sand verbena, heart's delight

Habit Plants annual, infrequently perennial. Plants perennial.
Stems

decumbent to ascending, much branched, elongate, reddish at least basally, glandular-pubescent, rarely glabrous or viscid-pubescent.

procumbent to semierect, slightly to moderately branched, elongate, often reddish at nodes, viscid.

Leaves

petiole 1–4.5 cm;

blade broadly ovate to orbiculate, 1–5 × 0.5–3 cm, margins entire or ± repand and undulate, surfaces glabrous or sparsely glandular-pubescent.

petiole 1–9 cm;

blade deltate-ovate to elliptic, 2–8 × 2–6.5 cm, margins repand to sinuate, frequently undulate, adaxial surface glandular-puberulent, abaxial surface glandular-pubescent.

Inflorescences

peduncle longer than subtending petiole;

bracts lanceolate to ovate, 3–10 × 1–5 mm, papery, puberulent to densely glandular-pubescent;

flowers 15–35.

peduncle longer than subtending petiole;

bracts ovate to elliptic, 5–16 × 2–10 mm, papery, glandular-pubescent;

flowers 20–75.

Perianth

tube greenish to coral pink, 6–18 mm, limb white to pale pink, 5–8 mm diam.

tube magenta, 12–25 mm, limb bright magenta, 8–10 mm diam.

Fruits

winged, turbinate, 3–8 × 3–6 mm, coriaceous, apex broadly tapered to prominent beak;

wings (2–)5 (when 2, folded together) truncate distally with conspicuous dilations, cavities extending throughout.

narrowly turbinate, 6–9 × 3–4.5 mm, ± 2 times as long as wide, scarious, base attenuate, rounded or truncate at apex, with a broadly conic beak;

wings 5, finely reticulate, thin walled, narrow, cavities extending throughout.

Abronia turbinata

Abronia ameliae

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering winter–spring.
Habitat Sandy soils, desert scrub Sandy soils, live-oak grasslands
Elevation 900-2500 m (3000-8200 ft) 0-100 m (0-300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
TX
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Abronia ameliae has limited cultivation as an ornamental in southern Texas.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 4, p. 66. FNA vol. 4, p. 63.
Parent taxa Nyctaginaceae > Abronia Nyctaginaceae > Abronia
Sibling taxa
A. alpina, A. ameliae, A. ammophila, A. angustifolia, A. argillosa, A. bigelovii, A. bolackii, A. carletonii, A. elliptica, A. fragrans, A. latifolia, A. macrocarpa, A. maritima, A. mellifera, A. nana, A. pogonantha, A. umbellata, A. villosa
A. alpina, A. ammophila, A. angustifolia, A. argillosa, A. bigelovii, A. bolackii, A. carletonii, A. elliptica, A. fragrans, A. latifolia, A. macrocarpa, A. maritima, A. mellifera, A. nana, A. pogonantha, A. turbinata, A. umbellata, A. villosa
Name authority Torrey ex S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 285, plate 31, figs. 1–5, 8, 9. (1871) Lundell: Wrightia 1: 54. (1945)
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