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Abronia villosa

Common name:	Desert Sand Verbena	Family:	Nyctaginaceae
Author:	S.Watson.	Botanical references:	200, 276
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	South-western N. America - Nevada and Arizona to California.
Habitat:	Found in creosote bush scrub from sea level to elevations of 2500 metres in California[276].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	0	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Desert Sand Verbena [P], Desert Sand-verbena [B],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	villosa = hairy
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Caryophyllales. Four o'clock family

Physical Characteristics

Annual growing to 0.1m by 0.5m . It is hardy to zone 8. It is in flower from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 0/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

The plant is used to induce the flow of urine[257].
A poultice of the mashed roots has been used to treat burns[257].

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Prefers a light well-drained sandy soil in full sun[200].
This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it should succeed outdoors in the southern part of the country, especially if given a warm sheltered site[200].
Seed is rarely ripened on plants growing in Britain[1].

Propagation

Seed - sow autumn or early spring very shallowly in pots of sandy soil in a greenhouse[133]. Germination can be very slow unless you peel off the outer skin and pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in warm water[200, 245]. The seed usually germinates in 1 - 2 months at 15° c[133]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
Images from the CalPhoto database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for abronia villosa (a possible synonym).

[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures
[HP] PhotoFrom Henriette's plant pictures

References for the family Nyctaginaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[133] Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 1. Thompson and Morgan. 1987
Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Abronia+villosa
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