Flora of North America species comparison

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Ayenia compacta

California ayenia, compact ayenia, desert ayenia
Habit Subshrubs, erect or decumbent, (0.1–)0.5–0.8(–1) m. Stems hairy, hairs stellate, arms appressed.
Leaves

petiole 0.5(–0.8) cm;

blades of proximal leaves orbiculate to broadly ovate, 0.3–0.5 × 0.3–0.5 cm, distal ovate to ovate-lanceolate, unlobed, 1–1.5 × 0.5–0.9 cm, base rounded to slightly cordate, margins serrate, ciliate, apex obtuse to subacute, 3(–5)-veined from base, surfaces stellate-hairy.
Flowers

sepals caducous, not present in young fruit, not reflexed at anthesis, ovate-lanceolate, 1.5–3 mm, sparingly stellate-pubescent abaxially;

petal claws 2–3 mm, lamina rhombic, 1–1.5 × 1.5–3 mm, base attenuate on claw, margins entire, apex notched, surfaces hairy abaxially, hairs simple, multicellular, abaxial appendage cylindric, 0.2–0.3 mm;

androgynophore 1–1.5 mm;

stamen filaments present;

stigmas scarcely exserted.
Capsules

subglobose, (3.5–)4.5–5 × 3–4.5 mm, sparingly stellate-pubescent, prickles 0.1–0.3 mm.
Seeds

2–2.5(–2.9) mm, slightly to densely tuberculate.
Cymes

axillary, not borne on short shoots (brachyblasts), 1(or 2)-flowered;

peduncle 1–2.5 mm.
2n

= 20.

Ayenia compacta
Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall.
Habitat Rocky slopes, gravelly or sandy washes, dry canyons
Elevation 100–1200 m (300–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
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Discussion

In the United States, Ayenia compacta is known from southernmost California and Arizona; in Mexico, it is found on the Baja California peninsula and in Sonora on islands in the Gulf of California.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 204.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Byttnerioideae > Ayenia
Sibling taxa
A. euphrasiifolia, A. filiformis, A. jaliscana, A. limitaris, A. microphylla, A. pilosa
Synonyms A. californica
Name authority Rose: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 8: 321. (1905)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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