Ayenia microphylla
Ayenia limitaris
dense ayenia, little-leaf ayenia, shrubby ayenia
kidney petal, Rio Grande ayenia, Tamaulipan kidney petal, Texas or Rio Grande ayenia
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 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.
to 4 mm.
3–7 mm.
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 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.
subspheric, 4–5 × 4–5 mm, puberulent to densely stellate-pubescent, prickles 0.5 mm.
oblate, 6–7 × 8–10 mm, densely short stellate-pubescent, prickles 1–1.5 mm.
3 mm, tuberculate.
3–5 mm, tuberculate.
axillary, borne on short shoots (brachyblasts), 1- or 2-flowered;
peduncle to 4 mm.
axillary, not borne on short shoots (brachyblasts), 2 or 3(or 4)-flowered;
peduncle to 10 mm.
Ayenia microphylla
Ayenia limitaris
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.)
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.)
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
