Abronia

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Ordo: Caryophyllales

Familia: Nyctaginaceae
Tribus: Nyctagineae
Genus: Abronia
Species: A. alba – A. alpina – A. ameliae – A. ammophila – A. angustifolia – A. argillosa – A. bigelovii – A. elliptica – A. fragrans – A. grabifolia – A. gracilis – A. insularis – A. latifolia – A. macrocarpa – A. maritima – A. mellifera – A. minor – A. nana – A. nealleyi – A. neurophylla – A. platyphylla – A. pogonantha – A. turbinata – A. umbellata – A. villosa
Nothospecies: A. × alba – A. × minor

A. alba - A. alpina - A. ameliae - A. ammophila - A. angustifolia - A. argillosa - A. bigelovii - - A. elliptica - A. fragrans - A. gracilis - A. insularis - A. latifolia - A. macrocarpa - A. maritima - A. mellifera - A. minor - A. nana - A. neurophylla - A. platyphylla - A. pogonantha - A. turbinata - A. umbellata - A. villosa

Source(s) of checklist:

Govaerts, R. et al. 2024. Abronia in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2024 September 3. Reference page.

Name

Abronia Juss. Gen. Pl. 448. (1789)

Type species: Abronia californica J.F.Gmel. [= synonym of Abronia umbellata Lam.]

Synonyms

Homotypic
Tricratus L'Hér. ex Willd. in Sp. Pl., ed. 4. 1: 807 (1798), nom. superfl.
Heterotypic
Apaloptera Nutt. ex A.Gray in Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 15: 319 (1853)
Cycloptera Nutt. ex A.Gray in Amer. J. Sci. Arts, ser. 2, 15: 319 (1853)

Distribution
Native distribution areas:

Northern America
Western Canada
British Columbia.
Northwestern U.S.A.
Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming.
North-Central U.S.A.
Kansas, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota.
Southwestern U.S.A.
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.
South-Central U.S.A.
New Mexico, Texas.
Mexico
Mexico Northeast (Coahuila, Chihuahua), Mexico Northwest (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, Sonora), Mexico Southwest (Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit).

References: Brummitt, R.K. 2001. TDWG – World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, 2nd Edition
References
Primary references

Jussieu, A.L. de 1789. Genera plantarum, secundum ordines naturales disposita juxta methodum in Horto Regio Parisiensi exaratam. 498 pp. Paris: Herissant et Theophile Barrois. BHL Reference page. : 448–449.

Additional references

Hernández-Ledesma, P., Olvera, H.F. & Ochoterena, H. 2010. Cladistic Analysis and Taxonomic Synopsis of Anulocaulis (Nyctaginaceae) Based on Morphological Data. Systematic Botany 35(4): 858-876. DOI: 10.1600/036364410X539916 Reference page.
Villaseñor, J.L. 2016. Checklist of the native vascular plants of Mexico. Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad 87: 559–902. DOI: 10.1016/j.rmb.2016.06.017 Online PDF Reference page. [see pages 805–806]
Yonekura, K. 2019. 新維管束植物分類表 [Updated Syllabus of Vascular Plant Families: based on Phylogeny-based System with List of Genera for Japanese Users]. 358 pp. Tokyo: Hokuryukan. ISBN 978-4-8326-1008-8 (Japanese) Reference page. [see page 187]

Links

Govaerts, R. et al. 2024. Abronia in Kew Science Plants of the World Online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published online. Accessed: 2024 September 3. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2024. Abronia. Published online. Accessed: 3 September 2024. Reference page.
Hassler, M. 2024. Abronia. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2024. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published online. Accessed: 2024 September 3. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2024. Abronia. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published online. Accessed: 3 September 2024.

Vernacular names
English: Sand-verbenas
suomi: Hiekkaverbenat
日本語: ハイビジョザクラ属 (Yonekura 2019)
русский: Аброния
svenska: Sandkrypesläktet

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.

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.
Selected species

Abronia alpina Brandeg.
Abronia ameliae Lundell
Abronia ammophila Greene
Abronia angustifolia Greene
Abronia argillosa Welsh & Goodrich
Abronia bigelovii Heimerl
Abronia bolackii N.D.Atwood
Abronia carletonii Coult. & Fisher
Abronia cycloptera A.Nels.
Abronia elliptica A.Nels.
Abronia fragrans Nutt. ex Hook.
Abronia latifolia Eschsch.

Abronia macrocarpa L.A.Galloway
Abronia maritima Nutt. ex S.Watson
Abronia mellifera Douglas ex Hook.
Abronia nana S.Watson
Abronia pogonantha Heimerl
Abronia turbinata Torr. ex S.Watson
Abronia umbellata Lam.
Abronia umbellata acutalata (Standl.) C.L.Hitchc.
Abronia umbellata breviflora (Standl.) Munz
Abronia villosa S.Watson
Abronia villosa var. aurita (Abrams) Jeps.[2][3]

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.)[3]

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

"Genus: Abronia Juss". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2010-07-07. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2010-10-24.
"Abronia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2010-10-24.

"GRIN Species Records for Abronia". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2000-12-13. Retrieved 2010-10-24.

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