Ayenia compacta
Ayenia limitaris
California ayenia, compact ayenia, desert ayenia
kidney petal, Rio Grande ayenia, Tamaulipan kidney petal, Texas or Rio Grande ayenia
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.
petiole to 2.5(–4) cm;
blade ovate to ovate-lanceolate, unlobed, (3–)5–12.5 × (1.7–)3.2–7.5 cm, noticeably reduced in size distally on stem, base rounded to cordate, margins irregularly dentate to dentate-crenate, apex acute to acuminate, 7-veined from base, surfaces: abaxial tomentulose, adaxial sparingly stellate-pubescent.
3–7 mm.
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.
sepals caducous, not persistent in fruit, reflexed at anthesis, ovate-lanceolate, 3 mm, stellate-pubescent abaxially;
petal claws 2.5 mm, lamina reniform, 1 × 1.5 mm, base deeply lobed, lobes ovate-rounded, margins ± entire, apex entire, surfaces glabrous, abaxial appendage absent;
androgynophore 0.2–0.3 mm;
stamen filaments absent or nearly so;
stigmas slightly exserted.
subglobose, (3.5–)4.5–5 × 3–4.5 mm, sparingly stellate-pubescent, prickles 0.1–0.3 mm.
oblate, 6–7 × 8–10 mm, densely short stellate-pubescent, prickles 1–1.5 mm.
2–2.5(–2.9) mm, slightly to densely tuberculate.
3–5 mm, tuberculate.
axillary, not borne on short shoots (brachyblasts), 1(or 2)-flowered;
peduncle 1–2.5 mm.
axillary, not borne on short shoots (brachyblasts), 2 or 3(or 4)-flowered;
peduncle to 10 mm.
= 20.
Ayenia compacta
Ayenia limitaris
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Ayenia limitaris was designated an endangered species by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1994. In the flora area, the species is known only from near the mouth of the Rio Grande.
Ayenia limitaris is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
