Sphaeralcea orcuttii

Plants usually annual, sometimes biennial. Stems erect, yellow, 5–12 dm, stellate-canescent. Leaf blades yellow-green to pale green, trullate with straight or rounded appearance or triangular with subhastate lobes, apical lobes distinctly triangular, 2-lobed, 3–5 cm, not rugose, base tapered to truncate, margins entire or wavy, surfaces stellate-canescent. Inflorescences paniculate, crowded, many-flowered, flowers clustered, tip not leafy; involucellar bractlets green to tan. Flowers: sepals 4–7 mm; petals red-orange, 10–12 mm; anthers yellow. Schizocarps ± hemispheric; mericarps 12–17, 2.5–3 × 2–3 mm, chartaceous, nonreticulate dehiscent part 30–40% of height, tip rounded, indehiscent part wider than dehiscent part. Seeds 1 per mericarp, brown, glabrous or pubescent. 2n = 10.

Phenology: Flowering spring.
Habitat: Dry, sandy, ± alkaline places
Elevation: ?50–900 m

Ariz., Calif., Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur, Sonora).

Discussion

Sphaeralcea orcuttii has distinctive trullate leaf blades and an erect habit.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa