E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of BC

Sphaeralcea coccinea (Nutt.) Rydb.
scarlet globe-mallow (scarlet globemallow)
Malvaceae (Mallow family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

General:
Perennial herb from spreading rhizomes; stems erect to ascending, branched, 10-20 cm tall.

Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves alternate, the blades 2-5 cm long, 3-5 parted to the midvein, divisions lobed, upper surface yellowish-green, lower surface grey, the stalks more or less equal to the leaves, shorter above; stipules deciduous.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of few to many flowers in short, terminal, bracted clusters on stalks shorter than the calyces; petals 5, orange-red, 1-2 cm long; calyces without bracts.

Fruits:
Carpels, 3 mm long, 9-17, strongly hairy on the back, prominently net-veined on the sides; seeds 1.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

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

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Native	SU	Unknown	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer.

KEY TO MALVACEAE

1. Stigmas extending full length on the inner surfaces of the style branches.

2. Calyces with basal bractlets; carpels beakless ....................Malva
2. Calyces without basal bractlets; carpels beaked ............................Sidalcea

1. Stigmas terminal and head-like.

3. Leaves heart-shaped and toothed; petals yellow...............Abutilon
3. Leaves mapleleaf-like or kidney-shaped and lobed; petals not yellow, colors various.

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
4. Petals 1-2 cm long; leaves 2-6 cm long; carpels strongly net-veined on the basal half of the sides, remaining closed at the bases at maturity ..................Sphaeralcea

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

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