Sphaeralcea munroana

Plants perennial. Stems erect, green to gray-green, 2.5–9 dm, gray-green canescent. Leaf blades green to gray-green, triangular, unlobed or weakly 5-lobed, to 4.5 cm, not rugose, base cuneate to truncate, margins coarsely toothed, surfaces stellate-pubescent. Inflorescences narrowly paniculate, crowded, few–many-flowered, flowers in clusters, tip not leafy; involucellar bractlets green to tan. Flowers: sepals 4–9 mm, tips forming weak beak in bud; petals red-orange, 11–14 mm; anthers yellow. Schizocarps spheric; mericarps 12, 3.5–4 × 2.5–3 mm, chartaceous, nonreticulate dehiscent part 55% of height, tip acute, with reflexed apical cusp, indehiscent part not wider than dehiscent part. Seeds 1 per mericarp, brown, slightly hairy.

Phenology: Flowering spring–summer.
Habitat: Xeric plains and slopes
Elevation: 100–2300 m

Distribution

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• Legacy Map

B.C., Calif., Idaho, Mont., Nev., Oreg., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Sphaeralcea munroana and S. parvifolia are difficult to distinguish and may be conspecific. Sphaeralcea parvifolia is more southern and smaller overall; S. munroana is more northern and more robust.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.