Malvaceae

Sphaeralcea munroana

Orange Globe Mallow

Erect, densely covered with grayish white star-shaped hairs. Leaves 2 in.; triangular or older leaves palmately lobed with 5 bluntly rounded, coarsely toothed lobes. Racemes of clustered flowers along upper stems, which are leafless at top. Flowers consist of 5 bright orange to salmon pink 1/2 in. petals forming bowl with many shorter yellow stamens. Grows in dry rocky or sandy soils in shrub-steppe habitat at mid to low elevations. Similar S. grossulariifolia, gooseberry leaf mallow, has deeply divided leaves, the 3 lobes often divided again; it grows at lower elevations and is more common in volcanic soils.

• Rarity: Locally Common
• Flowering Time: Late Summer
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 2--3 feet
• Habitat: Shrub-Steppe
• Found In: Steens
• Native: Yes