Abronia ammophila

Abronia ammophila, the Yellowstone sand verbena, or Wyoming sand verbena, is a flowering plant unique to Yellowstone National Park lakeshores and is endemic to the park. Part of the "Four o'clock" family (Nyctaginaceae), Abronia ammophila is best suited in sandy soils and lake shores. The presence of a sand verbena on the Yellowstone Plateau is surprising because of the high elevation of approximately 7,740 ft (2,360 m) and long, cold winters. Yellowstone sand verbena is a member of a New World plant family that typically lives in warmer climates such as deserts. The genus Abronia includes about 30 species that primarily occur in warmer areas of the western United States and Mexico. Some botanists speculate that the thermal activity in Yellowstone has made it possible for a sand verbena to survive the harsh winters here and slowly evolve into a species that is adapted to this climate. In recent surveys, botanists have located four populations of Yellowstone sand verbena, but very littl......read more on Wikipedia.