Sphaeralcea coulteri (S. Watson) A. Gray
Coulter’s globemallow
Coulter’s globe mallow is native to the Sonoran desert.
Plants: 6–59″ (15–150 cm) high, on sprawling stems.
Leaves: Gray-green, soft, thin, with three or five rounded lobes with coarse teeth, ½–1¾″ (1.5–4.5 cm) long.
Flowers: Red-orange, white, or lavender flowers ⅜–¾″ (9.5–19 mm) long have five roughly trapezoidal petals. Flowers appear from March to April.
Fruits: Rounded, black.
Habitats: Creosote bush scrub, below 1000′ (304 m).
Coulter’s globe mallow flowers, along with other mallows in this family of 1500 species, have filaments that are united into a tube in the center of the flower. Another common example is the hibiscus. 
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Similar species. |
Online References:
5/22/2009 · Slide Rock State Park, Sedona, Arizona · ≈ 3 × 2″ (8.4 × 5.3 cm) 
5/27/2009 · Canyon De Chelly, Chinle, Arizona 
5/20/2009 · Peach Springs, Arizona · ≈ 1 × 1′ (37 × 34 cm) 
6/3/2009 · Kolob Canyons, Zion National Park, Utah · ≈ 3½ × 2½″ (9 × 7 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves |
| Subclass | Rosidae | Roses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more |
| Order | Malvales | Includes cacao, balsa, lime, linden, basswood, daphnes, hibiscus, hollyhocks, okra, baobab, cotton, kapok, and many others |
| Family | Malvaceae | Includes okra, jute, cacao, hibiscus, many others |
| Genus | Sphaeralcea | From the Greek sphaira, “a globe,” and alcea, a related genus, referring to the spherical fruits, the common name of this genus being “globe-mallow” |
| Species | coulteri | After Dr. Thomas Coulter (1793-1843), Irish botanist, physician, and explorer |
Sphaeralcea coulteri description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 27 Jul 2026.
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