Desert globemallow | |
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Desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua var. ambigua | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malvales |
Family: | Malvaceae |
Genus: | Sphaeralcea |
Species: | S. ambigua |
Binomial name | |
Sphaeralcea ambigua | |
Sphaeralcea ambigua, is a species of flowering plant commonly known as desert globemallow or apricot mallow, for its predominantly orange blooms. It has fuzzy grey-green leaves. It is a member of the genus Sphaeralcea in the mallow family (Malvaceae). [1]
It is a perennial shrub native to the southwest United States and northwest Mexico. [1] [2] S. ambigua is a prevalent species in desert habitat and helps provide food and habitat for other species [3]
One of its main use is in native, pollinator, or drought tolerant gardens. but it is also used by the Shoshoni peoples as a medicinal plant and as a buffer against invasive species.
Sphaeralcea ambigua grows to 3 feet (0.91 m) in height and spreads to 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m) in width. [4] The leaves (see image) are fuzzy with white hairs on both sides, lobed, palmately veined, and on long stems, the number of which increase with age. The fruit is a brown capsule containing numerous seeds, first quite spherical as implied by the genus name, later flattening to a disk. The flowers are bowl-shaped, five-petaled, apricot to orange in color (although morphs may be white or light pink [5] ), and blooming in the spring. [2]
S. ambigua is also a larval host to several species of butterfly, such as the common checkered skipper, northern white skipper, painted lady, small checkered skipper, and West Coast lady. [3]
Sphaeralcea ambigua has eight or nine named varieties. [6] They include:
Desert Globemallow is native to parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico in the United States and Sonora and Baja California in northwest Mexico. [1] [2] It grows well in alkaline soil, both sandy and clay, usually in the company of creosote bush scrub and desert chaparral habitats, at 150–2,500 metres (490–8,200 ft) in elevation. It is found in the Mojave Desert, Great Basin desert, and Sonoran Desert ecoregions. [2]
Sphaeralcea ambigua is cultivated as an ornamental plant by specialty plant nurseries for use in desert and drought tolerant gardens, and a native plant its desert region's natural landscaping and habitat restoration projects. [4] It requires full sun and can do well with natural rainfall, although supplemental watering will increase flowering. Sandy, desert soil with good drainage is preferred but it is tolerant of some clay. It is winter hardy in USDA Zones 6–10, withstanding temperatures as low as -10F. [11] General maintenance is low. May be periodically cut back to maintain a vegetative look. Propagation is easy by seed but tricky by vegetative cuttings. [4]
The plant is used by members of the Shoshoni tribe of Native Americans, as well as other Indigenous people and settlers in the region, as a food source and medicinal plant. [12]
Sphaeralcea ambigua has been proven as a good combatant to invasive species [13] [13] (such as cheatgrass) where S. ambigua is a native plant. This is partially due to globemallow being a relatively fast grower with widespread populations.
Mallow or mallows may refer to:
Sphaeralcea is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family (Malvaceae). There are about 40-60 species, including annuals, perennials, and shrubs. Most originate in the drier regions of North America, with some known from South America. They are commonly known as globemallows, globe mallows, false mallows or falsemallows. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek words σφαῖρα (sphaira), meaning "sphere," and αλκεα (alkea), meaning "mallow."
Penstemon palmeri, known by the common name Palmer's penstemon, is a species of perennial flowering plant in the genus Penstemon that is notable for its showy, rounded flowers, and for being one of the few scented penstemons. The plant, in the family Plantaginaceae, is named after the botanist Edward Palmer.
Frangula californica is a species of flowering plant in the buckthorn family native to western North America. It produces edible fruits and seeds. It is commonly known as California coffeeberry and California buckthorn.
Sphaeralcea incana, with the common names gray globemallow and soft globemallow, is a desert plant in the mallow family (Malvaceae).
Solanum xanti, known commonly as chaparral nightshade, purple nightshade, and San Diego nightshade, is a member of the genus Solanum. It is native to the Western United States in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Oregon, and to northwest Mexico in Baja California.
Rubus ursinus is a North American species of blackberry or dewberry, known by the common names California blackberry, California dewberry, Douglas berry, Pacific blackberry, Pacific dewberry and trailing blackberry.
Eriogonum giganteum, with the common name St. Catherine's lace, is a species of wild buckwheat in Southern California.
Sambucus racemosa is a species of elderberry known by the common names red elderberry and red-berried elder.
Sphaeralcea gierischii, Gierisch's globemallow or Gierisch mallow, is an endangered species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is native to the western United States, where it is known only from Utah and Arizona. It was described in 2002.
Sidalcea malviflora is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, known by the common names dwarf checkerbloom, Greek mallow, prairie mallow and dwarf checkermallow.
Sphaeralcea angustifolia is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names copper globemallow and narrow-leaved globemallow. It is native to the southwestern United States as well as northern and central Mexico, where it grows in desert and plateau habitat. It produces many erect stems, approaching three meters in maximum height. It is woolly or felt-like in texture. The gray-green leaf blades are lance-shaped and measure up to about 5 cm long. They have wavy or slightly lobed edges. The leafy inflorescence bears several flowers each with five wedge-shaped orange petals just under 1 cm in length, and yellow anthers.
Sphaeralcea coulteri is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name Coulter's globemallow. It is native to the Sonoran Desert, its distribution extending from northern Mexico north into California and Arizona. It is an annual herb, its slender, hairy stems sprawling or growing erect to a maximum height near 1.5 meters. The thin, gray-green leaf blades are wide and short, heart-shaped or triangular in shape, and measure up to about 5 centimeters long. They have a few wide lobes along the edges which may have teeth or smaller lobes. The leafy inflorescence bears clusters of flowers each with five wedge-shaped orange petals around a centimeter long, and yellow anthers.
Sphaeralcea emoryi is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name Emory's globemallow. It is native to the Southwestern United States, California and Northwestern Mexico. It grows in desert habitat and sometimes disturbed areas such as roadsides.
Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name gooseberryleaf globemallow. It is native to the western United States, where it can be found in the Great Basin and surrounding regions. It grows in sagebrush, woodlands, playas, and the canyons of the upper Colorado River. It is common in disturbed areas, such as habitat recently cleared by wildfire.
Sphaeralcea munroana is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names Munro's globemallow and Munro's desert-mallow. It is native to the western United States, where it can be found in the Great Basin and surrounding regions. It grows in sagebrush, desert flats, mountain slopes, and requires plenty of sunlight to thrive. This perennial herb produces erect stems up to about 80 centimetres (31 in) tall from a thick root system. It is woolly and gray-green in color. The alternately arranged leaves have triangular blades up to 6 cm long, usually edged with large lobes and a toothed margin. Flowers occur in clusters on a raceme-like inflorescence. The flower has five apricot to red-orange petals each just over 1 cm long.
Sphaeralcea rusbyi is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names Rusby's globemallow and Rusby's desert-mallow. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it can be found in various types of desert habitat. The species is generally divided into three subtaxa which grow in separate sections of the desert southwest. In general, the plant produces hairy or woolly stems which can reach three meters tall. The leaves are lobed or compound. The flowers each have five red-orange petals up to 2 centimeters long.
Purshia glandulosa is a species of flowering plant in the rose family known by the common names antelope bitterbrush, desert bitterbrush, Mojave antelope brush, and cliff-rose.
Hilaria rigida is a species of clumping perennial grass that is widespread in California deserts. It is commonly known as big galleta. It is a monocot in the Hilaria genus of the grass family (Poaceae).
Sphaeralcea parvifolia, commonly called small-leaved globe-mallow or small-leaf globemallow, is a species of plant native to the western United States in the Great Basin and Colorado River drainage. It is medium sized herbaceous species that has showy orange flower spikes. It is used in wildflower and dry gardens.