Abronia fragrans Nutt. ex Hook.

Snowball sand verbena (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Caryophyllales > Nyctaginaceae > Abronia

Characteristics

Plants perennial. Stems procumbent to semierect, slightly to moderately branched, elongate, sometimes reddish at base and nodes, glandular-pubescent, viscid. Leaves: petiole 0.5-8 cm; blade ovate to triangular or lanceolate, 3-12 × 1-8 cm, margins entire to subsinuate and slightly undulate, adaxial surface glandular-pubescent, abaxial surface more densely and longer pubescent, or sometimes villous. Inflorescences: peduncle longer than subtending petiole; bracts linear-lanceolate to oval-ovate, 7-25 × 2-12 mm, scarious, glandular-puberulent to short villous; flowers 30-80. Perianth: tube greenish to reddish purple, 10-25 mm, limb white, (2-)6-10 mm diam. Fruits winged or not, fusiform and appearing deeply grooved when wingless, when wings not distorted, fruit ± cordate in profile, tapered at base, with prominent beak in broad notch at apex, 5-12 × 2.5-7 mm, indurate, rugose veined or, if wings distorted, fruit ± rhombic in profile and tapered at both ends, or obdeltate and truncate at apex, with prominent beak; wings 4-5, thick, narrow, not dilated at apex, cavities extending throughout; peripheral fruits often distorted, S-shaped in lateral view.
More
A perennial herb. It grows 0.6 m high. It has a taproot. The stems are sticky and hairy. The leaves are opposite and sticky. They are 9 cm long by 3 cm wide and narrowly oval. Flowers occur in clusters of 25-80 at the top of the plant. The flower is tube shaped with 4 or 5 sepals. They are usually white but can be pink. The fruit are egg shaped and dry. They are about 3 mm long.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.8
Mature height (meter) 0.6
Root system tap-root
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

It is a tropical plant. It grows on dry sandy soils. It needs full sunlight. It needs a warm sheltered position.
More
Dry sandy soils, scrub and grasslands at elevations of 400-2,000 metres.
Light 6-8
Soil humidity 1-5
Soil texture 3-6
Soil acidity 3-7
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 6-10

Usage

The roots are cooked, dried and ground into a powder then mixed with corn.
Uses medicinal
Edible roots
Therapeutic use Gastrointestinal Aid (flower), Dietary Aid (root), Psychological Aid (root), Gastrointestinal Aid (root), Dermatological Aid (unspecified), Gastrointestinal Aid (unspecified), Cathartic (unspecified), Diaphoretic (unspecified), Emetic (unspecified), Panacea (unspecified), Oral Aid (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. Seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours in warm water before sowing. Seedlings need good ventilation to avoid damping off. Cuttings can be used.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Flower

Abronia fragrans flower picture by Kim Schwichtenberg (cc-by-sa)
Abronia fragrans flower picture by Susan Brandt (cc-by-sa)
Abronia fragrans flower picture by Daniel Gonzales (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Abronia fragrans world distribution map, present in Mexico and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:326889-2
WFO ID wfo-0000511536
COL ID 63ZXV
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Abronia fragrans Abronia robusta Abronia carletonii Abronia fendleri Abronia nudata Abronia glaucescens Abronia speciosa Abronia texana Abronia fragrans var. glaucescens Abronia turbinata var. carletonii