Description: Sand Verbena is an annual plant belonging to the Four-o’clock Family, Nyctaginaceae. It grows 20 to 60 centimetres tall, branching near the base and spreading along the ground except for the stems tips which turn upwards. Stems and leaf stalks are covered with sticky hairs. Leaves are in pairs on the stem with stalks up to three centimetres long, with smooth-edged, distinctly veined, oblong blades about one to three centimetres wide by two to six centimetres long. Leaves are narrowly wedge-shaped where they attach to the stalk.

From May to July, stalks with clusters of flowers grow from the points where leaves attach to the stem. At the base of the flower cluster are five bracts of similar color and texture to the leaves, but only about two millimetres wide by less than ten millimetres long. The flowers have no petals, but a funnel-shaped tube six to 12 millimetres long encloses the stamens and ovary. This is topped by five whitish to green or yellow, petal-like lobes up to five millimetres wide. This structure remains attached to the developing fruit and usually enlarges into three wings. There may be as many as five or as few as two may develop. These wings are slightly longer than wide, averaging two centimetres long, but may be as large as three centimetres. The wings are pinkish in colour, thin and papery, strongly veined and may have sticky hairs on the surface. The seed is six to seven millimetres long, ovoid in shape, smooth, dull and yellow-brown. The wings of the fruit become black with age.

Similar species: Sand Verbena might be confused with the superficially similar Sand Dock (Rumex venosus) which grows in similar habitats. Sand Dock is a perennial herb with wide-spreading underground rhizomes. The stems are reddish-tinged and often branching along their length (not just near the base as for Sand Verbena). Leaves alternate on the stem (not in pairs as for Sand Verbena) with stalks much shorter than the blades. At the base of each stalk is a whitish paper sheath that encircles the stem. Leaf blades are flat and leathery, narrowing to a point at both ends, five to 15 centimetres long and nearly half as wide. The flower clusters are at the stem tips, not arising at the leaf bases.

The fruit is enclosed by a structure superficially similar to that of Sand Verbena because it is also thin and papery with conspicuous veins. A Sand Dock seed is within three pink to bright red "valves" which are slightly wider than long, up to three or more centimetres in width, and with a heart-shaped base whose lobes may actually overlap. The tip of the valve is also shallowly notched like the base of a heart. As the fruits ripen the valves turn rusty-coloured.

Status: The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) listed Sand Verbena as threatened in 1992. Listed as an endangered species in Saskatchewan in The Wild Species at Risk Regulations, Sand Verbena is protected on private, provincial and federal lands under part V of The Wildlife Act.

Sand Verbena is found only in western North America. In Canada, the plant is found in mixed grassland areas of southwestern Saskatchewan along the South Saskatchewan River and southeastern Alberta in the Milk River area. Fewer than 1,000 plants occur in Canada and in 1981, Saskatchewan reported fewer than 10 plants. There is currently no comprehensive population data available for Sand Verbena in Saskatchewan.

In the United States, Sand Verbena is found in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and California. It is rare in Kansas and Nebraska and extirpated in South Dakota.

Habitat: In Saskatchewan and Alberta, Sand Verbena is found in the mixed grass prairie region. The plant grows in dry, loose sands of sand-hill areas in desert or semi-arid conditions. Sand Verbena usually requires some element of drifting or unstable sand. The largest populations are found on hard packed fine sand on level ground.

Life Cycle: Sand Verbena is an ephemeral species, meaning it flowers early, sets seed and dies all in a short period of time. This is an adaption of certain plants to desert-like environments allowing the plant to avoid growing in the hot, dry mid-summer months. The plant flowers between May and July, fruits in July and reproduces through wind dispersed seeds.

Limiting Factors and Recovery Needs: In Saskatchewan, it is not really known what is the required habitat. The only known locations are open sand on the river banks of the South Saskatchewan River. These areas are not suited to agricultural development, nor are they likely to be. These sites are below the high water level and subject to flooding which is probably a contributing factor in keeping the sand unstable.

In other jurisdictions, the major threat to the species is loss of habitat due to agricultural practices. Much of the Sand Verbena’s habitat has been converted into cultivated crops.

Recovery Actions: There is currently no recovery plan for Sand Verbena. Remaining habitat for Sand Verbena should be managed to ensure continued survival of the species. Detailed research and monitoring of Sand Verbena and its habitat is recommended in order to get a better understanding of the species and its requirements.

Important: It is important to note that all endangered species including plants are protected in The Wild Species at Risk Regulations, under part V of The Wildlife Act. Sand Verbena is protected on private, provincial and federal lands. It is unlawful to pick or collect endangered plants without a special permit.

In many cases, the entire ecosystem is endangered and not just a specific species. These ecosystems are fragile and must remain undisturbed. The continued survival of all endangered species relies on protecting the habitats of the species at risk as well as the species themselves.

If you observe Sand Verbena growing in the wild, your help by contacting the Saskatchewan Conservation Data Center online at www.biodiversity.sk.ca would be greatly appreciated.

Selected References: Please contact your local library or visit the Internet sites below for more information on Sand Verbena. Sand Verbena.

Environment Canada. 1999. Sand verbena. [Online]
     http://www.speciesatrisk.gc.ca/Species/English/SearchDetail.cfm?SpeciesID=230 

Environment Canada. 2000. All species at risk (Map). [Online]
     http://www.sis.ec.gc.ca/cgi.eas/endanew.exe
     Date visited: 21/07/00

Smith, Bonnie and Cheryl Bradley. 1992. Status report on the sand verbena (Abronia micrantha torr.). The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.