Abronia (plant)
Genus of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Abronia, the sand-verbenas or wild lantanas, is a genus of about 20 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants in the family Nyctaginaceae. Despite the common names, they are not related to Verbena (vervains) or lantanas in the family Verbenaceae. They are closely allied with Tripterocalyx.
| Abronia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Flowers of Abronia umbellata | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Spermatophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Nyctaginaceae |
| Tribe: | Nyctagineae |
| Genus: | Abronia Juss.,[1] 1789 |
| Species | |
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See text | |
They are native to western North America, from Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, south to west Texas, California, Baja California and central Mexico, growing on dry sandy soils. Abronia macrocarpa, a Texas endemic, is protected under the Endangered Species Act. Abronia ammophila, the Yellowstone sand verbena, is a plant unique to Yellowstone National Park's lakeshores and is endemic to the park. Only a few species are widespread, and many are quite rare. They make very attractive garden plants for hot, dry sandy sites.
Species
| Image | Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Abronia × alba Eastw. (A. maritima × A. umbellata) | California | |
.jpg) | Abronia alpina Brandeg. | Tulare County, California |
| Abronia ameliae Lundell | From British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, Mexico |
.jpg) | Abronia ammophila Greene | Yellowstone National Park |
 | Abronia angustifolia Greene | United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) and Northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila). |
| Abronia bigelovii Heimerl | New Mexico | |
 | Abronia elliptica A.Nels. | Wyoming to NW. New Mexico |
 | Abronia fragrans Nutt. ex Hook. | Northern Arizona to western Texas and Oklahoma, and south to Chihuahua, Mexico |
 | Abronia glabrifolia Standl. | Utah to NW. Colorado |
| Abronia gracilis Benth. | S. California to Mexico (Baja California) | |
 | Abronia latifolia Eschsch. | southern California to southern British Columbia |
 | Abronia macrocarpa L.A.Galloway | eastern Texas |
 | Abronia maritima Nutt. ex S.Watson | southern California, including the Channel Islands, and northern Baja California |
 | Abronia mellifera Douglas ex Hook. | Northwestern United States (Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington, and Utah) |
| Abronia × minor Standl.(A. latifolia × A. umbellata) | California | |
 | Abronia nana S.Watson | Colorado to N. Arizona |
 | Abronia nealleyi Standl. | S. New Mexico to W. Texas |
 | Abronia pogonantha Heimerl | California and Nevada |
.jpg) | Abronia turbinata Torr. ex S.Watson | eastern California and Oregon and western Nevada |
.jpg) | Abronia umbellata Lam. | British Columbia, Canada to Baja California, Mexico. |
_(14395752801).jpg) | Abronia villosa S.Watson | southwestern United States and northern Mexico |
Formerly placed here
- Tripterocalyx carneus (Greene) L.A.Galloway (as A. carnea Greene)
- Tripterocalyx crux-maltae (Kellogg) Standl. (as A. crux-maltae Kellogg)
- Tripterocalyx micranthus (Torr.) Hook. (as A. micrantha Torr.)
- Tripterocalyx wootonii Standl. (as A. wootonii (Standl.) Tidestr.)[2]
Cultivation and uses
The stout, sweet root of Abronia fragrans and Abronia latifolia, sometimes over 60 cm long, can be eaten as a root vegetable.
