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little sand verbena, sandpuffs, small-flower sand-verbena, small-flower sandpuffs

Stems

reddish, glandular-pubescent, ± viscid.

often reddish, at least at nodes, short glandular-pubescent, viscid.

Leaves

petiole 1–4 cm;

blade lance-ovate to elliptic, 1–6 × 0.5–2.5 cm, margins entire or sinuate, ciliate;

surfaces short glandular-pubescent, ± viscid, abaxial surface green or glaucous, adaxial surface green.

petiole 1–6.5 cm;

blade ovate to elliptic-oblong, 1.5–8 × 0.5–5 cm, margins entire, often undulate, often scabro-ciliate;

surfaces glabrous or glandular-puberulent, somewhat ± glaucous abaxially.

Inflorescences

5–15-flowered;

bracts lanceolate to ovate, 3–9 × 1–3 mm, thin and green or ± papery, base ± attenuate, margins glandular-puberulent, often ciliate, or glabrate to lightly glandular-puberulent.

10–25-flowered;

bracts linear-lanceolate to ovate, 5–14 × 1.5–5 mm, papery, base often ± attenuate, margins glandular short ciliate, glabrous, or glabrate.

Perianth

tube greenish to pink, 6–18 mm, limb greenish to pink, 3–5 mm diam., lobes inconspicuous.

tube pink to pinkish red, 12–25 mm, limb white adaxially, often pinkish abaxially, 8–11 mm diam., lobes showy, over 1.5 mm.

Fruits

oval to round in profile, 10–20 × 10–20 mm, walls ± spongy on exterior, indurate on interior, ± smooth to rugose;

lateral ribs, if extending into wings, only slightly raised;

wings (2–)3(–4).

oval in profile, 13–20(–25) × 9.5–17.5 mm, walls indurate;

lateral ribs 1–3, or ribs absent, if exending into wings, only slightly raised;

wings (2–)3(–4).

Tripterocalyx micranthus

Tripterocalyx wootonii

Phenology Flowering spring–fall. Flowering spring–fall.
Habitat Sandy soils, desert scrub, desert grasslands Sandy soils, desert scrub
Elevation 800-2400 m (2600-7900 ft) 1000-2200 m (3300-7200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; KS; MT; ND; NM; NV; SD; UT; WY; AB; SK
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; UT
Discussion

The names Abronia cycloptera A. Gray and Tripterocalyx cyclopterus (A. Gray) Standley are illegitimate, based on an attempt by Gray to rename A. micrantha Torrey. Gray believed A. micrantha to be a “precociously fertilized state” of what is here recognized at T. carneus.

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

Source FNA vol. 4, p. 70. FNA vol. 4, p. 71.
Parent taxa Nyctaginaceae > Tripterocalyx Nyctaginaceae > Tripterocalyx
Sibling taxa
T. carneus, T. crux-maltae, T. wootonii
T. carneus, T. crux-maltae, T. micranthus
Synonyms Abronia micrantha Abronia wootonii, T. carneus var. wootonii
Name authority (Torrey) Hooker: Hooker’s J. Bot. Kew Gard. Misc. 5: 261. (1853) Standley: Contr. U.S. Natl. Herb. 12: 329. (1909)
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