Names
Scientific Name: Ayenia microphylla
Synonym:
Common Names:Dense ayenia, Yerba del cancer
Characteristics
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub/subshrub
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Sandy, rocky soil; dry slopes and hillsides.
Flower Color: Red to purple
Flowering Season: Spring and late summer
Height: Up to 30 inches
Description: This small shrub is composed of dense woody stalks. The leaves are toothed and covered in light hair. The flowers are very small and red to purple with a capsule like fruit about ΒΌ inch in diameter.
Special Characteristics
Dense ayenia is very heat tolerant.
Classification
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
SOURCES:
Texas Native Plants Database, Texas A&M University: aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/ayeniamicrophyl.htm
United States Department of Agriculture, Plant List: http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=AYMI
