Abronia

(Genus)

Herbs, annual or perennial, sometimes cespitose or appearing acaulescent, usually viscid-pubescent, from slender to stout taproot (extensively rhizomatous in Abronia bolackii). Stems prostrate to erect, unarmed, without glutinous bands on internodes. Leaves usually basal and cauline (all basal in A. bigelovii and A. nana), unequal in each pair, petiolate; blade ± thick and succulent, base usually asymmetric. Inflorescences axillary (appearing scapose in A. bigelovii and A. nana), pedunculate, capitate clusters, with peripheral flowers usually opening first; receptacle slightly rounded to conic, without pedicel-like projections; bracts persistent, not accrescent, 5-10, distinct, forming involucre, lanceolate to broadly ovate, thinly papery or scarious, translucent, occasionally thin and green. Flowers bisexual, chasmogamous; perianth radially symmetric, funnelform or salverform, constricted distal to ovary, abruptly expanded to 5-lobedlimb; stamens 5-9, included; styles included; stigmas linear. Fruits winged or not, usually fusiform or turbinate, in profile rhombic, cordate, or obdeltate, coriaceous, glabrate to viscid puberulent; wings 2-5, opaque, subtly veined, not or only slightly extending beyond apex or base of body, distal margins sometimes dilated and flattened, broader than lamina, interior hollow, forming cavity, or filled with spongy tissue; sulci smooth or slightly rugose.

Species ca. 20: North America, Mexico.

Mature to near-mature fruits are usually required for identification of Abronia species because of the variation of vegetative structures within each taxon. Abronia appears to be ina state of active evolution. Cross-pollination readily occurs in the greenhouse, producing a variety of hybrids. Hybridization occasionally occurs in the field.^[1]

Photos

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Abronia mellifera Abronia mellifera Photographer: Gerald D. Carr Date Taken: 2002
Location Taken: West of Pasco, Washington, USA Copyright: © 2002 Gerald D. Carr ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 116928

Abronia mellifera Abronia ameliae Photographer: The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Date Taken: 2007
Location Taken: Brooks Co, Texas, United States of America Copyright: © 2007 This image belongs to The New York Botanical Garden Virtual Herbarium. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 196697

Abronia mellifera Abronia macrocarpa Photographer: The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Date Taken: 2007 Copyright: © 2007 This image belongs to The New York Botanical Garden Virtual Herbarium. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 215872

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85786

Abronia mellifera Abronia pogonantha Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86253

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85797

Abronia mellifera Abronia villosa Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86315

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85785

Abronia mellifera Abronia minor Photographer: The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Date Taken: 2007
Location Taken: McGinnis Farm; near San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo Co, California, United States of America Copyright: © 2007 This image belongs to The New York Botanical Garden Virtual Herbarium. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 216169

Abronia mellifera Abronia villosa Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86313

Abronia mellifera Abronia umbellata subsp. umbellata Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86310

Abronia mellifera Abronia umbellata subsp. umbellata Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86312

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85784

Abronia mellifera Abronia villosa Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86314

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85782

Abronia mellifera Abronia pogonantha Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86252

Abronia mellifera Abronia umbellata subsp. umbellata Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86311

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85791

Abronia mellifera Abronia villosa Photographer: The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Date Taken: 2007
Location Taken: Arizona, United States of America Copyright: © 2007 This image belongs to The New York Botanical Garden Virtual Herbarium. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 216327

Abronia mellifera Abronia umbellata subsp. umbellata Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 86309

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85789

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85790

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85781

Abronia mellifera Abronia argillosa Photographer: The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Date Taken: 2007
Location Taken: 6 miles due south of Cisco, Grand Co, Utah, United States of America Copyright: © 2007 This image belongs to The New York Botanical Garden Virtual Herbarium. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 216329

Abronia mellifera Abronia angustifolia Photographer: The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium Date Taken: 2007
Location Taken: Dona Ana Co, New Mexico, United States of America Copyright: © 2007 This image belongs to The New York Botanical Garden Virtual Herbarium. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 196698

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: TopTropicals.com Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85780

Abronia mellifera Abronia latifolia Photographer: Brother Alfred Brousseau Courtesy of St. Mary\'s College of California. ZipcodeZoo Photo ID: 85783

Map

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Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae Cavalier-Smith, 1981 - Green Plants
    - Phylum: Tracheophyta Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
      - Subphylum: Spermatophytina (auct.) Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Seed Plants
        Infraphylum: Angiospermae auct.
        Class: Magnoliopsida Brongniart, 1843 - Dicotyledons
        Subclass: Caryophyllidae Takhtajan, 1967
        Superorder: Caryophyllanae Takhtajan, 1967
        Order: Caryophyllales Perleb, 1826
        Suborder: Phytolaccineae
        Family: Nyctaginaceae (nyk-taj-i-NAY-see-ay) A.L. de Jussieu, 1789, nom. cons. - Four O'clock Family
        Tribe: Abronieae
        Genus: Abronia (a-BRO-nee-uh) Jussieu, Gen. Pl. 448. 1789. - Sand-verbena [Greek abros, delicate or graceful]

The Genus Abronia is further organized into finer groupings including:

Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 134 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in the Genus Abronia: A. gracilis platyphylla · A. maritima capensis · A. umbellata acutalata · A. umbellata alba · A. umbellata variabilis · A. alba (Whiteflower Sand Verbena) · A. alba var. platyphylla · A. alpina (Ramshaw Meadow Abronia) · A. ameliae (Amelia Sand Verbena) · A. ammophila (Tweedy's Sand Verbena) · A. angulata · A. angustifolia (Narrow-Leaf Sandverbena) · A. anzuetoi · A. arenaria · A. argillacea · A. argillosa (Clay Sand Verbena) · A. arizonica · A. aurita (Cope's Arboreal Alligator Lizard) · A. bakeri · A. bigelovii (Galisteo Sand Verbena) · A. bigelovii Heimerl 'Galisteo Sand Verbena' · A. bogerti · A. bolackii (Bolacks Sand Verbena) · A. californica · A. campbelli · A. carletoni (Carleton's Sand Verbena) · A. carletonii (Carleton's Sand Verbena) · A. carltonii · A. carnea var. carnea · A. carnea var. wootonii · A. carterae · A. cheradophila · A. chiszari · A. covillei · A. deppii · A. elliptica (Dwarf Sandverbena) · A. fallax · A. fimbriata · A. fragrans (Four Oclock) · A. fragrans f. elliptica · A. fragrans var. pterocarpa · A. frosti · A. fuscolabialis · A. gaiophantasma · A. glabra · A. glabrifolia · A. glauca · A. glaucescens · A. gracilis (Narrow Sandverbena) · A. gracilis subsp. platyphylla · A. graminea · A. humilis · A. insularis (Island Sand Verbena) · A. lanceolata · A. latifolia (Coastal Sand Verbena) · A. latiuscula · A. leurolepis · A. lobatifolia · A. lythrochila · A. lythrochiladel · A. macrocarpa (Large-Fruited Sand Verbena) · A. maritima (Red Sand Verbena) · A. maritima maritima · A. maritima subsp. capensis · A. martindelcampoi · A. matudai · A. meledona · A. mellifera (Honey-Scent Sand Verbena) · A. menziesii · A. minor (Little Sand Verbena) · A. mitchelli · A. mixteca · A. montecristoi · A. nana (Dwarf Sand Verbena) · A. nana covillei (Coville's Dwarf Abronia) · A. nana S.Watson var. harrisii Welsh (Harris' Dwarf Sand Verbena) · A. nana S.Watson var. nana S.Watson (Dwarf Sand Verbena) · A. nana var. covillei · A. nana var. harrisii · A. nana var. nana · A. nealleyi · A. nelsonii · A. neurophylla (Beach Sand Verbena) · A. nudata · A. oaxacae · A. ochoteranae · A. ochoterenae · A. ochoterenai · A. ornelasi · A. parviflora · A. pedunculata · A. pinetorum var. aurita · A. platyphylla (Broadleaf Sand Verbena) · A. pogonantha (Mojave Sand Verbena) · A. ramirezi · A. reidi · A. robusta · A. rosea · A. rotundifolia · A. salvadorensis · A. smithi · A. sparsifolia · A. speciosa · A. suksdorfii · A. taeniata · A. texana · A. turbinata (Trans Montane Abronia) · A. turbinata var. marginata · A. umbellata (Pink Sand Verbena) · A. umbellata 'Grandiflora' · A. umbellata 'Pink Sand Verbena' · A. umbellata 'Rosea' · A. umbellata breviflora (Pink Sand Verbena) · A. umbellata f. mellifera · A. umbellata f. villosa · A. umbellata platyphylla · A. umbellata subsp. breviflora · A. umbellata subsp. insularis · A. umbellata subsp. variabilis · A. umbellata subsp. umbellata (Beach Sandverbena) · A. umbellata var. breviflora · A. umbellata var. minor · A. umbellata var. platyphylla · A. umbellata var. umbellata · A. vasconcelosi · A. vespertina · A. villosa (Desert Sand Verbena) · A. villosa f. rubescens · A. villosa f. rubrescens · A. villosa var. aurita (Sand Verbena) · A. villosa var. pinetorum · A. villosa var. villosa · A. wootoni · A. wootonii

Bibliography

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Galloway, L. A. 1975. Systematics of North American desert species of Abronia and Tripterocalyx. Brittonia 27: 328-347.
Tillett, S. S. 1967. The maritime species of Abronia (Nyctaginaceae). Brittonia 19: 299-327.

Footnotes

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Leo A. Galloway "Abronia". in Flora of North America Vol. 4 Page 16, 61. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org.

Sources

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Last Revised: May 01, 2008