Smoky Mountain Globemallow
Sphaeralcea fumariensis
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G2
State (S-rank): S2
Utah Wildlife Action Plan status
- SGCN
External links
General information
Sphaeralcea fumariensis is endemic to Kane County, Utah. This species flowers May through June and has orange-red colored petals. The herbage of these plants have a gray-green appearance when dry, but may look gray when found out in the field. It can be found growing on the Straight Cliffs, Tropic Shale, and Dakota Formations at elevations between 4,400 and 5,400 ft. It grows among matchweed, ephedra, blackbrush, galleta, shadescale, and juniper.
Description
Sphaeralcea fumariensis is endemic to Kane County, Utah. This species flowers May through June and has orange-red colored petals. The herbage of these plants have a gray-green appearance when dry, but may look gray when found out in the field. It can be found growing on the Straight Cliffs, Tropic Shale, and Dakota Formations at elevations between 4,400 and 5,400 ft. It grows among matchweed, ephedra, blackbrush, galleta, shadescale, and juniper.
Phenology
Flowers May through June.
Diagnostic characteristics
Sphaeralcea fumariensis has green to whitish canescent leaves and stems and larger calyces. These characteristics can differentiate it from S. moorei. Additionally, it is pubescent with trichome branches radiating in a non-singular plane. This can help distinguish it from S. grossularifolia.
Species range
A Navajo Basin endemic in Eastern Kane County, Utah.
Threats or limiting factors
This species is potentially threatened by road maintenance and construction (UNPS accessed 2022). Most occurrences are found within grazing allotments however the impacts of grazing are unknown.
Taxonomy
No, this species does not have taxonomic discrepancies