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snowball sand verbena

Scientific Name: Abronia fragrans

Family: Nyctaginaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth: Forb/herb

Duration: Perennial

Other Names:

       

Abronia fragrans: Snowball Sand Verbena

Abronia fragrans, commonly known as sweet sand-verbena, snowball sand-verbena, prairie snowball, or fragrant verbena, is a captivating plant found in arid regions of the western and southwestern United States. Its fragrant white flowers and unique growth habits make it a noteworthy species in desert and grassland ecosystems.

Common Names

  • Sweet Sand-verbena
  • Snowball Sand-verbena
  • Prairie Snowball
  • Fragrant Verbena
  • Heart's-delight

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Abronia fragrans Nutt. ex Hook.
  • Family: Nyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock Family or F-o'clock Family)
  • Genus: Abronia
  • Synonyms: A. speciosa, Abronia fragrans Nutt. ex Hook. var. glaucescens A. Nelson

Distribution and Habitat

  • Abronia fragrans is native to North America (L48 N).
  • It thrives in dry, sandy soils and scrublands.
  • Commonly found in desert shrub and pinyon-juniper communities.
  • Specific locations mentioned include: Arches National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah; Grand Canyon, AZ; Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, near Roswell, NM; Nebraska Sandhills.
  • Observed in Deer Canyon Preserve in sandy-soiled open fields.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Growth Habit: Forb/herb.
  • Stems: Erect to trailing or reclining with tips ascending, few to numerous, 1 to 4 feet long, branched from the base.
  • The plant has heads of fragrant white, trumpet-shaped flowers.

Quirky Facts

  • The USDA Plants Database refers to A. fragrans as snowball sand-verbena, while it calls A. elliptica fragrant sand-verbena. Some find this naming convention counterintuitive, considering that "fragrans" typically means fragrant.

Interactions with Other Organisms

  • The plant attracts insects with its fragrant flowers.

Further Information

  • USDA Plants Database: Provides species information, distribution maps, and nomenclature details.
  • Dave's Garden: A community platform for sharing gardening tips, plant information, and seeds.
  • Discover Life: Offers comprehensive details about the biology, natural history, ecology, identification, and distribution of Abronia fragrans.