Common Name: FOUR O'CLOCK FAMILY
Habit: Annual, perennial herb, subshrub, [shrub, tree], glabrous or hairy. Stem: often forked. Leaf: opposite, sessile or petioled, pairs generally unequal; blade generally entire. Inflorescence: generally forked; spike, head-like cluster, or umbel, flowers rarely 1, bracts forming a calyx-like involucre or not. Flower: bisexual, generally +- radial (bilateral), sometimes cleistogamous in some genera; perianth of 1 whorl, generally petal-like, bell- to trumpet-shaped, base hardened, tightly surrounding ovary in fruit, lobes 3--5, generally notched to +- lobed; stamens 1--many; ovary superior (appearing inferior due to hardened perianth base), style 1. Fruit: achene in hardened perianth base; round to +- flat; smooth, angled, ribbed, or winged; glabrous, hairy, or glandular.
Genera In Family: 30 genera, 350 species: warm regions, especially America; some ornamental (Bougainvillea; Mirabilis, four o'clock).
eFlora Treatment Author: Andy Murdock, except as noted
Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.

Common Name: SAND-VERBENA
Habit: Annual, perennial herb, generally glandular. Stem: prostrate to ascending, generally +- red. Leaf: generally fleshy, petioled. Inflorescence: head or umbel; flowers maturing outer before inner or +- simultaneously; receptacle conic, +- smooth; bracts 5--10. Flower: perianth salverform to trumpet-shaped, generally fragrant, lobes 4--5; stamens 4--5, included; stigma linear, included. Fruit: body fusiform; wings (0)2--5, lobe-like, prominent, opaque, thick, not continuous above fruit body.
Etymology: (Greek: graceful) Note: Closely related to Tripterocalyx; relationships among species Abronia gracilis Benth. (Mexico), Abronia maritima, Abronia umbellata, and Abronia villosa need study; hybrids involve Abronia latifolia, Abronia maritima, Abronia umbellata; Abronia gracilis included in TJM (1993) based on misidentifications.
eFlora Treatment Author: Andy Murdock
Reference: Galloway 2003 FNANM 4:61--69

Habit: Perennial herb, +- glabrous to glandular-hairy. Stem: prostrate, > 1 m. Leaf: petiole 1--6 cm, slender; blade 15--70 mm, 8--50 mm wide, ovate to +- diamond-shaped. Inflorescence: peduncle 2.5--15 cm, slender, generally erect in fruit; bracts 5--7 mm, lanceolate to ovate; flowers [8]10--27. Flower: perianth tube 6--16(20) mm, throat with white to cream spot, limb 5--12(17) mm wide, light to dark magenta (white). Fruit: 6--13 mm, glandular-hairy at base, glabrous above, wings 4(5), with no sinus at top between.
Note: 1 other variety, in British Columbia, Washington.
Unabridged Note: Abronia umbellata var. acutalata (Standl.) C.L. Hitchc. in British Columbia, Washington. Abronia umbellata Lam. subsp. alba (Eastw.) Munz, Abronia umbellata Lam. subsp. platyphylla (Standl.) Munz, and Abronia umbellata Lam. subsp. variabilis (Standl.) Munz do not merit taxonomic recognition because they represent a continuum of variation between and may represent hybrids between Abronia maritima and Abronia umbellata (Tillett 1967 Brittonia 19:299--327), but further study needed.