General:
Perennial herb from thick roots; stems ascending to erect, branched, grey-hairy to greenish, 20-80 cm tall.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves alternate, the blades 2-6 cm long, kidney-shaped to more elongate with 3-5 lobes or only scalloped less than halfway to the midvein; the stalks equal to the leaves, shorter upwards; stipules not deciduous.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of many flowers in short, terminal, bracted clusters on stalks shorter than the calyces; petals 5, apricot-pink to reddish, 1-2 cm long; calyces with 3 linear bracteoles.
Fruits:
Carpels, 3 mm long, 9-17, hairy on the back, wrinkled only on the lower third of the sides; seeds 1.
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Flower Colour:
Orange
Blooming Period:
Mid Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Brown
Present from Spring to Summer
Source: The USDA
KEY TO MALVACEAE
1. Stigmas extending full length on the inner surfaces of the style branches.
2. Calyces with basal bractlets; carpels beakless ....................Malva 1. Stigmas terminal and head-like.
3. Leaves heart-shaped and toothed; petals yellow...............Abutilon
4. Petals usually more than 2 cm long; leaves 4-15 cm long; carpels glabrous on the sides, opening the full length at maturity.........................Iliamna KEY TO SPHAERALCEA 1. Leaves round-toothed to lobed less than halfway to the midvein; calyces with bractlets plants 20-80 cm tall............................S. munroana 1. Leaves deeply parted nearly to the midvein; calyces without bractlets; plants 10-20 cm tall............................S. coccinea Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia |