The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

dense ayenia, little-leaf ayenia, shrubby ayenia

California ayenia, compact ayenia, desert ayenia

Habit Shrubs, erect or spreading, 0.2–0.6 m. Stems hairy, hairs stellate, arms appressed. Subshrubs, erect or decumbent, (0.1–)0.5–0.8(–1) m. Stems hairy, hairs stellate, arms appressed.
Leaves

petiole 0.4–1.2 cm;

blades of proximal leaves orbiculate to suborbiculate, 0.5 × 0.4 cm, distal ovate to narrowly ovate, unlobed, 0.5–2.1(–3) × 0.4–1.8(–2) cm, base rounded or obscurely subcordate, margins serrate, stellate-hairy (not ciliate), apex acute to rounded, 3(–5)-veined from base, surfaces minutely, densely stellate-hairy.

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.

Pedicels

to 4 mm.

Flowers

sepals caducous, not reflexed at anthesis, ovate-lanceolate, 2.5–3.2 mm, densely stellate-pubescent abaxially;

petal claws 4 mm, lamina reniform-deltate, 1.4–1.6 × 1.5 mm, base lobed, lobes ± rectangular, margins entire, apex with 2 widely spaced teeth, surfaces glabrous, abaxial appendage absent;

androgynophore 0.5–1 mm;

stamen filaments present;

stigmas scarcely exserted.

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

subspheric, 4–5 × 4–5 mm, puberulent to densely stellate-pubescent, prickles 0.5 mm.

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

Seeds

3 mm, tuberculate.

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

Cymes

axillary, borne on short shoots (brachyblasts), 1- or 2-flowered;

peduncle to 4 mm.

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

peduncle 1–2.5 mm.

2n

= 20.

Ayenia microphylla

Ayenia compacta

Phenology Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall. Flowering and fruiting spring–early fall.
Habitat Dry limestone, igneous rocky slopes Rocky slopes, gravelly or sandy washes, dry canyons
Elevation 600–1400 m (2000–4600 ft) 100–1200 m (300–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Coahuila)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Ayenia microphylla can be distinguished from other Ayenia species in the flora area by the presence of short shoots (brachyblasts) from which leaves and inflorescences emerge. In Texas, the species is known from the trans-Pecos region.

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

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. 206. FNA vol. 6, p. 204.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Byttnerioideae > Ayenia Malvaceae > subfam. Byttnerioideae > Ayenia
Sibling taxa
A. compacta, A. euphrasiifolia, A. filiformis, A. jaliscana, A. limitaris, A. pilosa
A. euphrasiifolia, A. filiformis, A. jaliscana, A. limitaris, A. microphylla, A. pilosa
Synonyms A. californica
Name authority A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 24. (1852) Rose: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 8: 321. (1905)
Web links