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Abronia elliptica
Abronia elliptica A. Nelson
Fragrant White Sand Verbena, Snowball Sand Verbena
Nyctaginaceae (Four O'clock Family)
Synonym(s): Abronia fragrans var. elliptica, Abronia pumila, Abronia ramosa, Abronia salsa
USDA Symbol: ABEL
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
Many fragrant, white to pinkish, trumpet-shaped flowers bloom in heads at ends of long stalks in upper leaf axils.
Throughout most of its range this is the only Sand Verbena with white flowers. A fragrans, also called Snowball or Sweet Sand Verbena, has sweet-smelling flowers, but lacks pads atop the wings of the fruit and is often taller, with stems up to 3' (90 cm). It grows in eastern Montana and western North and South Dakota, south to eastern Utah, northeastern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and western and central Texas. White Sand Verbena (A. mellifera), from eastern Washington and Oregon to southern Idaho, has nearly scentless flowers.
From the Image Gallery
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Fruit Type: Accessory
Size Notes: Up to about 3 feet tall.
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: White , PinkBloom Time: Apr , May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep , Oct , Nov
Distribution
USA: AZ , CO , NM , NV , UT , WYNative Distribution: Central Nevada to northern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, western Colorado, and northern Wyoming.
Native Habitat: Sandy, arid grassland and among pinyon and juniper.
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Abronia elliptica in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Abronia elliptica in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Abronia elliptica
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-04-18Research By: TWC Staff