Plant: perennial herb; to 1 m tall, with scattered pubescence

Leaves: long-petiolate below to short-petiolate above, orbicular in outline, crenate below to palmately dissected above

INFLORESCENCE: a leafless raceme

Flowers: calyx 7-8 mm long, coarsely hirsute; petals rose-pink (rarely white), 1.5-2 cm long; staminal column ca. 5 mm long, hispid

Fruit: FRUITS oblate schizocarps, glabrous or nearly so; mericarps 5-9, smooth to finely reticulate; SEEDS solitary

Misc: In wet mountain meadows and along waterways; 1500-2900 m (5000-9500 ft); Jun-Sep

REFERENCES: Fryxell, Paul A. 1994. Malvaceae. J. Ariz. - Nev. Acad. Sci. Volume 27(2), 222-236.

Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Subshrub

General: Erect perennial herb to 1 m tall, stems simple to branched, with scattered pubescence.

Leaves: Alternate long petiolate below to short petiolate above, orbicular in outline, crenate below to palmately dissected above with 5-7 lobes, cauline leaves 5-9 parted, each segment 3-5 lobed, blades all pubescent on both surfaces and ciliate, 2-6 cm wide.

Flowers: Terminal raceme, hirsute and leafless, calyx 7-8 mm long, coarsely hirsute, petals rose pink to purplish, rarely whitish, 1-2 cm long, staminal column about 5 mm long, usually pubescent.

Fruits: Oblate schizocarp, glabrous or nearly so, bearing 5-9 mericarps, smooth to finely reticulate.

Ecology: Found in moist soils of wet meadows and along watercourses from 5,000-9,500 ft (1524-2896 m); flowers June-September.

Notes: Distinguished by its large palmately dissected leaves and terminal raceme with much larger petals than found in Sphaeralcea.

Ethnobotany: Cold infusion taken for internal injury.

Etymology: Sidalcea is a combination of Sida and Alcea, both Greek names for mallow and now genera the mallow family, while neomexicana means of or from New Mexico.

Synonyms: None

Editor: SBuckley, 2010