Pink or beach sand verbena is a prostrate, somewhat succulent perennial with few to many slender, glabrous to glandular-hairy stems and opposite, ovate to diamond-
shaped leaves on stems ± as long as the leaf blades.  A member of the coastal strand plant community, sand verbena is typically found on beaches and sand dunes near the coast from San Diego Co. north, blooming throughout most of the year.  The flowers are in clusters subtended by 5-8 rose-colored lanceolate bracts.  There are no petals, and the five calyx lobes are in turn cleft into two lobes, making it appear that the plant has ten petals.  The limb of the perianth is rose to bright magenta with a central whitish spot and the tube is green or red and glandular-pubescent.  The one pistil and three stamens are included within the tube.  A. umbellulata hybridizes with several other species of Abronia, including maritima.  Occasionally, as in the last picture which was taken at McGrath State Beach, a white form is found, which is also the case with Abronia villosa.

Click here for Latin name derivations: 1) Abronia 2) umbellata.
Pronunciation: ab-ROE-nee-a um-bel-AY-ta.
Click here for Botanical Term Meanings.