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Abronia

 

Four O'Clock family
Nyctaginaceae

A-bro'ni-a. Sand Verbena . About 30 species of annual and perennial plants mostly from w. North America.

Description
Stems erect or prostrate, leaves opposite, stalked, all usually sticky-hairy. Flowers tubular, in a loose, stalked head, below which are 5 or more colored bracts. Calyx petal-like.

How to Grow
The species described below needs a long, cool growing season. Start indoors or in a coldframe, and plant after the last frost. Removing the seed husks before planting will speed germination. Used for borders or rock gardens.

Abronia umbellata
Sand Verbena . A vinelike herb 6-24 in. (15-60 cm) long. Flowers in. (13 mm) long, pink, usually with 10-15 in an umbel-like cluster, 2 in. (5 cm) across. Pacific Coast. Cultivar 'Grandiflora' has larger flowers; 'Rosea' has pale rose flowers. Tender perennial grown as a tender annual.



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WordNet: Abronia
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: genus of western North American herbs having showy flowers
  Synonym: genus Abronia


Wikipedia: Abronia (plant)
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Abronia

Yellow Sand Verbena (Abronia latifolia)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Nyctaginaceae
Genus: Abronia
Juss.
species

See text

Abronia villosa
Abronia ameliae

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 (Nyctaginaceae).

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. Only a few species are widespread, and many are quite rare. They make very attractive garden plants for hot, dry sandy sites.

Selected species

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.

References and external links

  • Galloway, LA. 1976. Systematics of the North American desert species of Abronia and Tripterocalyx (Nyctaginaceae). Brittonia 27 (4): 328-347 (1975 publ. 1976)
  • Flora of North America: Abronia



 
 
Learn More
sand verbena
Abronia (animal)
Coban alligator lizard

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Copyrights:

Annuals Dictionary. Taylor's Guide for Annuals, by Norman Taylor, revised and edited by Gordon P. DeWolf, Jr. Copyright © 1986 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.  Read more
WordNet. WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Abronia (plant)" Read more