Sphaeralcea ambigua, is a species of flowering plant commonly known as desert globemallow or apricot mallow, for its predominantly orange blooms. It is a member of the genus Sphaeralcea in the mallow family (Malvaceae).[1]
| Desert globemallow | |
|---|---|
| |
| Desert globemallow Sphaeralcea ambigua var. ambigua | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Sphaeralcea |
| Species: | S. ambigua
|
| Binomial name | |
| Sphaeralcea ambigua | |
It is a perennial shrub native to the southwest United States and northwest Mexico.[1][2] S. ambigua is a prevalent species in desert habitat and helps support other species[3]
Description
editSphaeralcea ambigua grows to 3 feet (0.91 m) in height and spreads to 2–3 feet (0.61–0.91 m) in width.[4] The leaves (see image) are fuzzy with white hairs on both sides, lobed, palmately veined, and on long stems, the number of which increase with age. The fruit is a brown capsule containing numerous seeds, first quite spherical as implied by the genus name, later flattening to a disk. The flowers are bowl-shaped, five-petaled, apricot to orange in color (although morphs may be white or light pink[5]), and blooming in the spring.[2]
S. ambigua is also a larval host to several species of butterfly, such as the common checkered skipper, northern white skipper, painted lady, small checkered skipper, and West Coast lady.[3]
Varieties
editSphaeralcea ambigua has eight or nine named varieties.[6] They include:
Habitat
editNative Habitat
editDesert Globemallow is native to parts of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico in the United States and Sonora and Baja California in northwest Mexico.[1][2]It grows well in alkaline soil, both sandy or clay, usually in the company of creosote bush scrub and desert chaparral habitats, at 150–2,500 metres (490–8,200 ft) in elevation. It is found in the Mojave Desert, Great Basin desert, and Sonoran Desert ecoregions.[2]
Cultivation
editSphaeralcea ambigua is cultivated as an ornamental plant by specialty plant nurseries for use in desert and drought tolerant gardens, and a native plant its desert region's natural landscaping and habitat restoration projects.[4] It requires full sun and can do well with natural rainfall, although supplemental watering will increase flowering. Sandy, desert soil with good drainage is preferred but it is tolerant of some clay. It is winter hardy in USDA Zones 6–10, withstanding temperatures as low as -10F.[11] General maintenance is low. May be periodically cut back to maintain a vegetative look. Propagation is easy by seed but tricky by vegetative cuttings.[4]
Uses
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Native Peoples Use
editThe plant is used by members of the Shoshoni tribe of Native Americans, as well as other Indigenous people and settlers in the region, as a food source and medicinal plant.[12]
Against Invasive Species
editSphaeralcea ambigua has been proven as a good combatant to invasive species[13][14] (such as cheatgrass) where S. ambigua is a native plant. This is partially due to globemallow being a relatively fast grower with widespread populations.
References
edit- ^ a b c NRCS. "Sphaeralcea ambigua". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
- ^ a b c d Jepson eFlora, The Jepson Herbarium, University of California, Berkeley
- ^ a b The Xerces Society (2016), Gardening for Butterflies: How You Can Attract and Protect Beautiful, Beneficial Insects, Timber Press.
- ^ a b c University of Arizona Pima County Cooperative Extension - Master Gardeners . accessed 11.11.2011
- ^ Messinger, Olivia J (2013). The role of visual and olfactory cues in host recognition for the specialist bee genus Diadasia, and implications for the evolution of host choice (Thesis). ProQuest 1429780172.[page needed]
- ^ Jepson Taxon Report: Taxon Report . accessed 11.11.2011
- ^ Jepson - var. ambigua . accessed 11.11.2011
- ^ Jepson var. aculeata/ambigua . accessed 11.11.2011
- ^ Jepson - var. rosacea . accessed 11.11.2011
- ^ Jepson - var. rugosa . accessed 11.11.2011
- ^ Miller, George Oxford (2022-03-08). Native Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies: Southern California. Adventure Publications. ISBN 978-1-64755-191-9.
- ^ Native American Ethnobotany (University of Michigan - Dearborn) . accessed 11.11.2011
- ^ "Revegetation Strategies for Ecological Restoration - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ "Revegetation Strategies for Ecological Restoration - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
External links
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