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annual abronia, trans montane abronia, trans montane sand verbena

beach sand verbena, pink sand-verbena, purple sand verbena

Habit Plants annual, infrequently perennial. Plants annual.
Stems

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

prostrate, much branched in large plants, forming loose mats, elongate, glandular-pubescent or glabrous.

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 1–6 cm;

blade ovate, elliptic, or rhombic, 1.5–6.8 × 0.8–4.7 cm, margins entire to ± repand and undulate, surfaces glandular-puberulent to glandular-villous, usually ± glaucous.

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 lanceolate to ovate, 5–7 × 3–5 mm, papery, glandular-puberulent to viscid-villous;

flowers 8–27.

Perianth

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

tube magenta to greenish, 6.5–18 mm, limb magenta, 6–16 mm diam., throat surrounded by white to yellowish white eyespot.

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.

± obdeltate in profile, 6–12 × 6–16(–24) mm, indurate, smooth, not rugose veined, apex beaklike;

wings 5, not folded, poorly to very well developed, from slightly shorter than beaklike apex of body to prolonged beyond beak, thin, without cavities.

Abronia turbinata

Abronia umbellata

Phenology Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Sandy soils, desert scrub
Elevation 900-2500 m (3000-8200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; WA; BC; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 3 (3 in the flora).

S. S. Tillett (1967) stated that Abronia umbellata is sufficiently similar to the inland A. villosa that without information regarding locality some specimens would be very difficult to identify. He also considered A. umbellata subsp. alba (Eastwood) Munz, subsp. platyphylla (Standley) Munz, and subsp. variabilis (Standley) Munz, A. insularis Standley, and A. neurophylla Standley to be introgressive hybrids of A. umbellata with A. maritima.

The name Abronia gracilis Bentham has appeared in regional floras and treatments of Nyctaginaceae since Standley’s continental treatment (1918). S. S. Tillett (1967) stated that the taxon was reported for San Diego County, California, but cited no documenting specimens. I. L. Wiggins (F. Shreve and I. L. Wiggins 1964) considered only A. gracilis subsp. platyphylla (Standley) Ferris to enter the United States, in San Diego County, an entity considered by Tillett to be an intergrade between A. umbellata and A. maritima. The distinctions among A. gracilis, A. umbellata, and A. villosa are subtle at best, and the group is in need of careful study.

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

Key
1. Fruit wing tips often prolonged beyond fruit apex; flowers 7-10 mm
var. acutalata
1. Fruit wing tips terminating below or extending to fruit apex; flowers 6.5-18 mm
→ 2
2. Flowers 6.5-10 mm; wings of fruit poorly to moderately developed, if developed, tapering to fruit apex
var. breviflora
2. Flowers 12-18 mm; wings of fruit well developed, truncate or tapering to fruit apex
var. umbellata
Source FNA vol. 4, p. 66. FNA vol. 4, p. 67.
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. 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. turbinata, A. villosa
Subordinate taxa
A. umbellata var. acutalata, A. umbellata var. breviflora, A. umbellata var. umbellata
Name authority Torrey ex S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 285, plate 31, figs. 1–5, 8, 9. (1871) Lamarck: Tabl. Encycl. 1: 469, plate 105. (1791)
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