Sphaeralcea incana

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Sphaeralcea incana
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Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Sphaeralcea
Species:
S. incana
Binomial name
Sphaeralcea incana

Sphaeralcea incana, with the common names gray globemallow and soft globemallow, is a desert plant in the mallow family (Malvaceae). [2] [3]

Contents

Distribution

The plant is native to Chihuahuan Desert and Sonoran Desert ecoregions of the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is found in the states of Arizona, Chihuahua, New Mexico, Sonora, and Texas. [2] [3]

Description

Sphaeralcea incana is a perennial subshrub with a large taproot. It has several to many erect stems, emerging from a stout woody crown, growing 3–6 feet (0.91–1.83 m) in height. The gray leaves are very dense with short scurfy hairs. [4]

The flowers are a brilliant orange, appearing from June through October. [4] There are also pink, and white, flowering forms. In some locales the plants can form 'carpets of flowers' after a heavy winter rainy season.

Subspecies

Subspecies include: [1]

Uses

The plant's flowers are of special value to native species of bees and butterflies. [4]

Medicinal plant

Sphaeralcea incana has been used as a medicinal plant, traditionally by Native Americans, and by others. [4]

The Hopi peoples traditionally used the plant to treat diarrhea. [7]

The leaves and flowers of the plant can be made into an herbal tea used for respiratory irritations and flu. [4]

The roots and leaves are demulcent and emollient. A poultice of fresh crushed leaves has been used for skin injuries or inflammations. [4]

Cultivation

Sphaeralcea incana is cultivated as an ornamental plant by specialty plant nurseries. It is used in native plant, water conserving, and wildlife gardens, and for natural landscaping projects. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Sphaeralcea</i> Genus of flowering plants

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."

<i>Grindelia squarrosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Grindelia squarrosa, also known as a curly-top gumweed or curlycup gumweed, is a small North American biennial or short-lived perennial plant.

<i>Ambrosia dumosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Ambrosia dumosa, the burro-weed or white bursage, a North American species of plants in the family Asteraceae. It is a common constituent of the creosote-bush scrub community throughout the Mojave desert of California, Nevada, and Utah and the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and northwestern Mexico.

<i>Parkinsonia florida</i> Species of tree native to the Sonoran Desert

Parkinsonia florida, the blue palo verde, is a species of palo verde native to the Sonoran Deserts in the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico. Its name means "green pole or stick" in Spanish, referring to the green trunk and branches, that perform photosynthesis.

<i>Calochortus nuttallii</i> Species of flowering plant

Calochortus nuttallii, also known as the sego lily, is a bulbous perennial plant that is endemic to the Western United States. The common name of sego comes from a similar Shoshone word. It is the state flower of Utah.

<i>Castilleja exserta</i> Species of flowering plant

Castilleja exserta is a species of plant in the genus Castilleja which includes the Indian paintbrushes. Its common names include purple owl's clover, escobita, and exserted Indian paintbrush.

<i>Parthenium incanum</i> Species of flowering plant

Parthenium incanum, with the common names mariola and New Mexico rubber plant, is a plant in the genus Parthenium of the family Asteraceae.

<i>Sphaeralcea ambigua</i> Species of flowering plant

Sphaeralcea ambigua, is a species of flowering plant commonly known as desert globemallow or apricot mallow, is a member of the genus Sphaeralcea in the mallow family (Malvaceae).

<i>Mentzelia multiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Mentzelia multiflora, commonly known as Adonis blazingstar, Adonis stickleaf, desert blazingstar, prairie stickleaf and manyflowered mentzelia is a herbaceous perennial wildflower of the family Loasaceae.

<i>Sphaeralcea gierischii</i> Species of endangered plant

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.

<i>Oenothera primiveris</i> Species of flowering plant

Oenothera primiveris is a species of flowering plant in the evening primrose family known by the common names yellow desert evening primrose, bottle evening-primrose, and desert evening-primrose.

<i>Sphaeralcea angustifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Sphaeralcea coulteri</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Sphaeralcea emoryi</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Sphaeralcea munroana</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Sphaeralcea rusbyi</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Artemisia cana</i> Species of plant

Artemisia cana is a species of sagebrush native to western and central North America; it is a member of the sunflower family. It is known by many common names, including silver sagebrush, sticky sagebrush, silver wormwood, hoary sagebrush, and dwarf sagebrush.

<i>Xylorhiza tortifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Xylorhiza tortifolia is a species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, known by the common names Mojave-aster and Mojave woodyaster.

<i>Berberis haematocarpa</i> Species of shrub

Berberis haematocarpa, Woot. with the common names red barberry, red Mexican barbery, Colorado barberry and Mexican barberry, is a species in the Barberry family in southwestern North America. It is also sometimes called algerita, but that name is more often applied to its relative, Mahonia trifoliolata.

References

  1. 1 2 Integrated Taxonomic Information System−ITIS Standard Report Page: Sphaeralcea incana
  2. 1 2 USDA: Sphaeralcea incana . accessed 4.5.2015
  3. 1 2 Native Plant Network: Sphaeralcea incana
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 NPIN: Sphaeralcea incana (Gray globemallow)
  5. USDA: Sphaeralcea incana ssp. cuneata
  6. USDA: Sphaeralcea incana ssp. incana
  7. University of Michigan - Dearborn, Native American Ethnobotany: Sphaeralcea incana