XGooseberryleaf Globemallow (Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia)X
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Gooseberryleaf globemallow -or- Gooseberry-leaf globe-mallow -or- Current-leaf globe-mallow -or- Gooseberryleaf Globemallow (Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia), family Malvaceae (Mallow)
Meet our mystery plant from early May 2010. We sighted this species in Colorado where it has only been recorded as rare. After much research we are declaring this specimen as grossulariifolia. It may be a hybrid, but comparative study has led us here. Alternative conclusions are welcome and sought. We had not found a 3 petal species of mallow before but in fact this was the only open bloom on the plant. Possibly the flower had dropped a couple of petals. Just for fun we took a number of photos of the plant, flower, and foliage to look at later. Little did we know we had a new (to us) species. The conformation of this specimens foliage is the telling feature. Now on to information about grossulariifolia...
Grossulariifolia is a perennial mallow species with two subspecies mentioned in the USDA website: subsp. grossulariifolia -and- subsp. pedata. The plants are drought tolerent and commonly found in more rather than less arid habitats. Flowers are 5-petaled, see our side frame for remarks on our specimen.
USES: Native American uses of grossulariifolia can be found at Native American Ethnobotany: Hopi: Roots chewed or boiled with cactus root and used for difficult defecation. Plant used for babies with bowel trouble. Root chewed or boiled for broken bones. Havasupai: Juice made into a paste and mixed with clay before molding it into a pot.
Flower -
Plant location: Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge - May 31, 2015 - Colorado.
The flower and foliage detail were from a first sighting of grossulariifolia, found in the area of Southwest Colorado, likely closer to the borders of New Mexico, Utah, and but certainly not in those states, on May 5, 2010. We were back for a second trip to the area after visiting the Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton New Mexico the previous week. This species is recorded by BONAP as 'rare' in Colorado.
Plant -
Bloom season: April to June.
Foliage is described as having broad leaves that are palmately (lobed, veined, or divided from a common point, like the fingers of a hand) five-cleft and then cleft again and toothed. Like the mallow species coccinea, the foliage is covered with stellate (star-shaped) hairs. Foliage -
Southwest Colorado - May 5, 2010
Notice the two exposed green bracts on the flower. This is normally a 5 petal species. We suspect that the bloom has dropped 2 of it's petals where the exposed bracts are visable. -
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Southwest Colorado - May 5, 2010
Another view of foliage showing a dense covering of stellate hairs. -
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Southwest Colorado - May 5, 2010
Only after starting to edit our photographs of this specimen did we notice these interesting growths on the plant. How we wish we had examined them more closely. They have the look of seed heads, but then could also be emerging new flowers. Finding another grossulariifolia plant for further study ... something to look forward to. -
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Southwest Colorado - May 5, 2010
Plant view of our original sighting of grossulariifolia. -
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Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge - May 31, 2015 - Colorado
Now this is more like it, grossulariifolia flowers with 5 petals. And plenty of them :) -