3, Sphaeralcea St. Hil, 
Perennial herbs with alternate, palmately lobed leaves, bearing 
branched hairs, Flowers showy in terminal racemes, each subtended by 
1-5 bractlets, Sepals 5, united at the base, Petals notched at the 
apex, Styles capitate and stigmatic at the apex only, Fruit a capsule, 
the carpels 4-9, 2-d-seeded, opening at length by 2 valves. 
1. S. acerifolia (Nutt.) Te& G. Globe Mallow. An erect and handsome 
herb 1-2 m, tall or more, the stems often several from a thickened, rather 
woody caudex ¢-4 cm. in diameter, glabrous or pubescent with branched hairs, 
the internodes 15-25 cm. long; leaves maple-like, 8-15 cm, long, of about 
the same breadth, 5-lobed, the middle lobe largest, all triangular, acute, 
the margins +--+» toothed, the teeth rounded, unequal, both surfaces 
coarsely 
lightly pubescent or glabrate, petioles 3-6 cm. long; flowers in 
clusters of 5-5, racemose, cach cluster subtended by 3 bracts about 
equal to the calyces or shorter; calyx 7-8 mn, long, bracteate, the lobes 
as long as the tube, ovate, densely pubescent; corolla pale flesh color 
to rose, 2#2,5 cm, long, the vetals obovate-rotund; styles about 10, 
capitate, joined in the lower third, ovary densely hairy; fruit 6-7 mm, 
tall, 8-9 mn, in diameter, flattened cylindrical, coarsely hispid, the 
carvels about 15, lightly joined, dehiscent from the apex downs seeds 
neerly kidney-shaped, 1.5 mm. in diametcr, hispidulous, (Phymosia. 
rivularis Rydb.). 
Common throughout our region especially in young burns, as high as 
6000 f£t., in subalpine meadows or burns, Utilized as sheen forage in 
subelroine meadowse 
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