Sphaeralcea procera
Luna County globemallow
erect, white, 30 dm, densely soft stellate-pubescent.
blades white or yellow, lanceolate or ovate to triangular or cordate, 3-lobed, central lobe larger than laterals, 1–5 cm, rugose, coriaceous, base cuneate, margins irregularly dentate, wavy, surfaces stellate-pubescent.
paniculate, narrow, crowded, multiflowered, interrupted, tip leafy;
involucellar bractlets green.
sepals 5 mm;
petals rose-purple, 10–13 mm;
anthers yellow.
1 per mericarp, gray to black, pubescent.
helmet-shaped;
mericarps usually 10, usually 3 × 2 mm, chartaceous, moderately reticulate dehiscent part 60% of height, tip acute, indehiscent part not wider than dehiscent part.
Sphaeralcea procera
Sphaeralcea procera is known only from the type collection, from Luna County. It is closely related to S. polychroma, which is usually common when it is found. It is surprising that S. procera is known only from a single collection. Botanists, including me, have looked for it around the type locality without success. It is retained here pending evidence that it is conspecific with S. polychroma or extinct.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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