Key to Abronia

View taxon page for Abronia

(For a list of species in Abronia, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Stems densely 

cespitose 

Having a densely clumped, tufted, matted, or cushion-like growth form.

or in mats < 20 cm wide; montane; 

perennial 

Completing life cycle (germination through death) in more than two years or growing seasons, generally non-woody (at least above ground) to woody; includes perennial herbs as well as subshrubs to trees; the abbreviation 'per' only refers to perennial herb, not to the word 'perennial' alone.

 herb

2. Inflorescence 1–5-flowered; plant in mats; leaves cauline, 

blade 

Expanded portion of a leaf, petal, or other structure, generally flat but sometimes rolled, cylindric, wavy, or cupped.

± round; fruit 

wing 

1. Thin, flat extension or appendage of a surface or margin. 2. In many members of Fabaceae and in some other groups, each of two lateral petals.

0 ..... A. alpina

2' Inflorescence >= 6-flowered; plant densely tufted; leaves 

basal 

At or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.

, blade 

oblong 

Longer than wide, with nearly parallel sides; wider than linear.

to ± round; fruit winged ..... A. nana var. covillei

1' Stems elongate, not cespitose, when 

prostrate 

Lying flat on the ground.

in mats >> 25 cm; coastal, desert, or montane; annual or perennial herb

3. Perennial herb; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

 fleshy; perianth limb yellow or wine-red; coastal

4. Leaf blade ± as long as wide; perianth limb yellow ..... A. latifolia

4' Leaf blade longer than wide; perianth limb wine-red ..... A. maritima

3' Annual (perennial herb); leaf ± not fleshy; perianth limb white, pink, red, or magenta; coastal or inland

5. Fruit wings thick, hollow, inflated or ± collapsed and folded together; leaves ± glabrous (sparsely puberulent); inland, mostly desert ..... A. turbinata

5' Fruit wings thin, solid, rarely 0; leaves hairy to glandular-hairy; coastal or inland, mostly desert

6. Fruit wings 2(3); fruit broadly obcordate, with 

sinus 

Usually pertaining to margins of leaves, sepals, petals, or other parts, an indentation between adjacent lobes or teeth

at top between wings ..... A. pogonantha

6' Fruit wings generally 3–5 or 0; fruit 

cordate 

Heart-shaped; often pertaining to a leaf in which the blade base on both sides of the petiole is rounded and convex.

, obconic, or ovoid, with no sinus at top between wings

7. Fruit body ± smooth; immediate coast ..... A. umbellata

8. Perianth limb light to bright magenta, throat with a cream to light yellow spot; inflorescence sparse, flowers 10–18; fruit wings angled near tip ..... var. breviflora

8' Perianth limb light to dark magenta (white), throat with white spot; inflorescence ± dense, flowers 10–27; fruit wings broadly rounded near tip ..... var. umbellata

7' Fruit body with generally raised veins (most evident near tip); ± inland ..... A. villosa

9. Perianth tube 2–3.5 cm, limb (1)1.5–1.8 cm wide; fruit wings each with 1 prolonged, 

acute 

Having a short-tapered, sharp tip, the sides convex or straight and converging at less than a right angle.

 

lobe 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

 distally ..... var. aurita

9' Perianth tube 1.3–2 cm, limb 0.6–1.2(1.5) cm wide; fruit wings each with 0 or 1 shallow, rounded lobe distally ..... var. villosa

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