Scarlet globemallow
Sphaeralcea coccinea
Summary 7
Sphaeralcea coccinea is a flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae and is commonly known as scarlet globemallow. The plant is native to grasslands and prairies of the Great Plains and western parts of the United States.
Botanical Information 8
The scientific name for scarlet globemallow is Sphaeralcea coccinea. The family is Malvaceae. The genus is Sphaeralcea and the species is coccinea. Globemallow is a flowering plant that grows upright and sometimes sprawling, rarely reaching more than 1 foot tall. It is a perennial meaning it grows back from its roots year after year. It has hairy leaves that have three lobes and rounded scalloped edges. The five-petaled flowers can come in many colors including orange, scarlet, and even a purplish-pink.
Ecological Information 9
Globemallow usually grows in deserts and gardens, and frequently along roadsides and vacant lots. This particular species is found throughout the Rocky Mountain region of the United States, north up into Canada and east into the Great Plains. It is drought tolerant and can be found in arid environments with sandy, rocky, or gravelly soil. It is a native plant to the Bosque. This globemallow is an important food source for pronghorn antelope as well as bison, prairie dogs, and jack rabbits.
Ethnobotanical Information 7
According to Michael Moore, the leaves and flowers crushed and chewed or the dried plant made into a tea can be used to help relieve a sore throat, hoarseness, and minor irritation of the stomach and small intestine. He also says long term use of the tea can help turn around chronic conditions like gastritis, prostatitis, and urethritis. Be careful when handling this plant as it can cause eye itchiness if you touch a flower and rub your eye.
References 7
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SPCO
http://www.highplainsgardening.com/plant-profiles/sphaeralcea-coccinea
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=SPCO
https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_spco.pdf
Moore, Michael. (2003). Medicinal Plants of the Mountain West. (pp. 273-274). Santa Fe, New Mexico. Museum of New Mexico Press.
About the Author 9
Student author(s)*: Stephanie (age 12) and Odett (age 14) from South Valley Academy and Ella (4th grade) from Chinook Spirit Children’s Academy
*The entries in this field guide have been edited by Yerba Mansa Project staff to ensure that they contain quality, fact-checked content and standardized formatting. https://yerbamansaproject.org/
Sources and Credits
- (c) John Rusk, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/john_d_rusk/35802819844/
- (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/6710516923/
- (c) chinookspirit, all rights reserved
- (c) Laura Camp, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/lauracamp/9037586529/
- (c) Juniperus_scopulorum, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.flickr.com/photos/82244653@N08/14429908902/
- (c) Andrey Zharkikh, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/zharkikh/6712567507/
- Adapted by Hannah from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
- Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphaeralcea
- Adapted by albuquerqueherbalism from a work by (c) smiller33, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
More Info
iNat Map
| Color | orange, pink |
|---|---|
| Type | herb |
