''Sphaeralcea'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the mallow

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

(

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

). There are about 40-60

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

, including

annual Annual may refer to: *Annual publication, periodical publications appearing regularly once per year **Yearbook **Literary annual *Annual plant *Annual report *Annual giving *Annual, Morocco, a settlement in northeastern Morocco *Annuals (band), a ...

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

s, and

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s. Most originate in the drier regions of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

, with some known from

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. They are commonly known as globemallows, globe mallows, false mallows or falsemallows. The name of the genus is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

words σφαῖρα (''sphaira''), meaning "sphere," and αλκεα (''alkea''), meaning "mallow." The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

of these plants are spirally arranged, and usually palmate or toothed. Both stems and leaves are downy. Like other Malvaceae, the

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

s are saucer- or cup-shaped, with the

stamen The stamen (: stamina or stamens) is a part consisting of the male reproductive organs of a flower. Collectively, the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filament ...

s joined into a column in the center. ''Sphaeralcea'' species are used as food plants by the

larvae A larva (; : larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into their next life stage. Animals with indirect developmental biology, development such as insects, some arachnids, amphibians, or cnidarians typical ...

of some

Lepidoptera Lepidoptera ( ) or lepidopterans is an order (biology), order of winged insects which includes butterflies and moths. About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera have been described, representing 10% of the total described species of living organ ...

species including '' Schinia olivacea'', which has been recorded on ''S. lindheimeri''.

Selected species

*''

Sphaeralcea ambigua ''Sphaeralcea ambigua'' is a species of flowering plant commonly known as desert globemallow or apricot mallow, for its predominantly orange blooms. It has fuzzy, grey-green leaves. It is a member of the genus ''Sphaeralcea'' in the mallow family ...

'' A.Gray – Desert globemallow *''

Sphaeralcea angustifolia ''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, ...

'' (Cav.) G.Don – Copper globemallow, narrowleaf desertmallow *''

Sphaeralcea australis ''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. ...

'' Spegazzini - Southern globemallow *''

Sphaeralcea bonariensis ''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. ...

'' (Cav.) Griseb. – Latin globemallow *''

Sphaeralcea caespitosa ''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. ...

'' M.E.Jones – Tufted globemallow *''

Sphaeralcea coccinea ''Sphaeralcea coccinea'', commonly known as the scarlet globemallow, scarlet mallow, cowboy's delight, prairie mallow, red false mallow, or simply as globe mallow is a perennial plant growing 10–30 cm tall from spreading rhizomes with a lo ...

'' (Nutt.) Rydb. – Scarlet globemallow, red globemallow, red falsemallow *'' Sphaeralcea coulteri'' (S.Watson) A.Gray – Coulter's globemallow *''

Sphaeralcea digitata ''Sphaeralcea'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family (biology), family (Malvaceae). There are about 40-60 species, including annual plant, annuals, Perennial plant, perennials, and shrubs. Most originate in the drier regions of No ...

'' (Greene) Rydb. – Juniper globemallow, slippery globemallow *''

Sphaeralcea emoryi ''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 sometime ...

'' Torr. ex A.Gray – Emory's globemallow *''

Sphaeralcea fendleri ''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. ...

'' A.Gray – Fendler's globemallow, thicket globemallow *''

Sphaeralcea fulva ''Sphaeralcea fulva'', commonly known as desert mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to northwestern Mexico. Description ''Sphaeralcea fulva'' is a perennial shrub which grows to high. It was describe ...

'' Greene – desert mallow *''

Sphaeralcea gierischii ''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.

'' – Gierisch mallow *'' Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia'' (Hook. & Arn.) Rydb. – Gooseberryleaf globemallow, currantleaf globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea hastulata'' A.Gray – Spear globemallow, spreading globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea incana'' Torr. ex A.Gray – Gray globemallow, soft globemallow, ''azeentliini'' *'' Sphaeralcea janeae'' (Welsh) Welsh – Jane's globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea laxa'' Wooton & Standl. – Caliche globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea leptophylla'' (A.Gray) Rydb. – Scaly globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea lindheimeri'' A.Gray – Woolly globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea munroana'' (Douglas ex Lindl.) Spach ex A.Gray – Munro's globemallow, whitestem globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea nutans'' *'' Sphaeralcea obtusiloba'' (Hook.) G.Don *'' Sphaeralcea orcuttii'' Rose – Carrizo Creek globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea palmeri'' *'' Sphaeralcea parvifolia'' A.Nelson – Smallflower globemallow, littleleaf globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea pedatifida'' (A.Gray) A.Gray – Palmleaf globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea philippiana'' *'' Sphaeralcea polychroma'' La Duke – Hot Springs globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea procera'' – Luna County globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea psoraloides'' Welsh – Psoralea globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea rusbyi'' A.Gray – Rusby's globemallow, cutleaf globemallow *'' Sphaeralcea subhastata'' *'' Sphaeralcea sulphurea'' *'' Sphaeralcea wrightii'' A.Gray – Wright's globemallow

Formerly placed here

*'' Iliamna rivularis'' (Douglas) Greene (as ''S. acerifolia'' Torr. & A.Gray and ''S. rivularis'' (Douglas) Torr.) *'' Phymosia umbellata'' (Cav.) Kearney (as ''S. umbellata'' (Cav.) G.Don)

References

External links

USDA Plants Profile
{{Taxonbar, from=Q936759 Malvaceae genera