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Sphaeralcea coccinea (Nutt.) Rydb.

Scarlet globemallow (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Malvales > Malvaceae > Sphaeralcea

Characteristics

A small shrub. It grows 15-45 cm high and spreads 15-30 cm wide. It is well branched and keeps growing from year to year. The stems often lie along the ground and form mats. The leaves are alternate and simple. The leaves are divided long the stalk. These divisions are forked or lobed and have soft hairs. The leaves have a rough texture and are grey-green. The flowers are orange-red. They are 12-20 mm across. They occur in short, dense leafy spikes. The fruit is dry and has segments with a few seeds.
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Plants perennial, rhizomatous. Stems 3–6, ascending or decumbent, light green to grayish, 1–3(–5) dm, stellate-green. Flowers: sepals 5–10 mm; petals red-orange, 5–20 mm; anthers yellow. Schizocarps flattened spheric-conic; mericarps 10–14, 3–3.5 × 2.5–3 mm, thick, coriaceous, nonreticulate dehiscent part 10–35% of height, muticous, indehiscent part usually wider than dehiscent part. Seeds 1 per mericarp, gray to black, ± glabrous.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.15 - 0.3
Mature height (meter) 0.38 - 0.48
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) 1.0
Root diameter (meter) 0.3
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Dry plains, prairies, disturbed roadsides; at elevations from 300-2,500 metres. The var elata is found in rocky, sandy, or silty soil, limestone, gypsum, or igneous substrates, slopes, flats, or washes, desert scrub or shrublands.
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It is a temperate plant. It grows in light sandy soil in dry prairie. It suits hardiness zones 4-9.
Light 7-8
Soil humidity 2-2
Soil texture -
Soil acidity 5-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-9

Usage

The root is used to make a drink.
Uses animal food beverage environmental use gum medicinal
Edible roots
Therapeutic use Dermatological Aid (root), Ceremonial Medicine (unspecified), Dermatological Aid (unspecified), Dietary Aid (unspecified), Disinfectant (unspecified), Other (unspecified), Strengthener (unspecified), Panacea (unspecified), Sore (unspecified), Wound (unspecified), Salve (unspecified), Burn (unspecified)
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by cuttings or seedlings. Seeds needs soaking.
Mode cuttings seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) 5
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment soaking
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Sphaeralcea coccinea leaf picture by Eylisia (cc-by-sa)
Sphaeralcea coccinea leaf picture by vanessa m (cc-by-sa)
Sphaeralcea coccinea leaf picture by Jaime therealmusicjunkie (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Sphaeralcea coccinea flower picture by frida padilla (cc-by-sa)
Sphaeralcea coccinea flower picture by Eylisia (cc-by-sa)
Sphaeralcea coccinea flower picture by Erin Olsen (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Sphaeralcea coccinea world distribution map, present in Canada, Mexico, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:241641-2
WFO ID wfo-0000505401
COL ID 4YL7R
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID -
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Nototriche coccinea Malva coccinea Sida coccinea Malveopsis coccinea Cristaria coccinea Malvastrum cockerellii Malva creeana Sphaeralcea creeana Sida dissecta Sphaeralcea dissecta Malvastrum coccineum Sphaeralcea elata Sphaeralcea coccinea var. coccinea Sphaeralcea coccinea subsp. dissecta Sphaeralcea coccinea var. dissecta Malvastrum coccineum var. dissectum Malvastrum dissectum var. cockerellii Sphaeralcea coccinea

Lower taxons

Sphaeralcea coccinea var. elata
WorldFloraDB 2024