Ayenia compacta
Encyclopedia
Ayenia compacta is a species of shrub
in the cacao family
known by the common name California ayenia. It is native to the Sonoran Desert
and surrounding ranges in California
, Arizona
, and Baja California
. This is a small shrub producing many erect, branching stems up to 40 centimeters tall from a taproot
. The sparse leaves are oval in shape and edged in dull teeth. The flowers appear in the leaf axils. Each has upcurled sepal
s in one layer and downcurled petals in a layer just above. Each petal has a threadlike claw. The capsule fruit is a purple-tinted yellow sphere about half a centimeter wide.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
in the cacao family
Sterculiaceae
Sterculiaceae is a botanical name for a group of flowering plants at the rank of family, which is now considered obsolete. As is true for any botanical name, the circumscription, status and placement of the taxon has varied with taxonomic point of view...
known by the common name California ayenia. It is native to the Sonoran Desert
Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest...
and surrounding ranges in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and Baja California
Baja California
Baja California officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North...
. This is a small shrub producing many erect, branching stems up to 40 centimeters tall from a taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
. The sparse leaves are oval in shape and edged in dull teeth. The flowers appear in the leaf axils. Each has upcurled sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s in one layer and downcurled petals in a layer just above. Each petal has a threadlike claw. The capsule fruit is a purple-tinted yellow sphere about half a centimeter wide.