Flowers of the Southwest Deserts

by Natt N. Dodge

RED

Allionia incarnata

Common names: WINDMILLS, PINK THREE-FLOWER, TRAILING-FOUR-O’CLOCK Arizona and Texas deserts: (Allionia incarnata). Purple pink. April-October. California desert: (Allionia albida). Rose pink. July-October. Four-o’clock family. Size: Spreading annual with branches 30 inches.

Slender, trailing stems up to 30 inches in length with clusters of three rose-purple to pink blossoms serve to identify the Trailing-four-o’clock which is a conspicuous plant of the open plains and mesas. The plants prefer dry, sandy benches where they are quite conspicuous with their prostrate, somewhat sticky stems weighted with clinging grains of sand. Blossoms are usually showy and colorful, rarely pale rose to white.

Fruits of A. incarnata are conspicuously toothed.

PINK

Sphaeralcea ambigua

Common names: GLOBEMALLOW, APRICOT-MALLOW, SORE-EYE POPPY, DESERTMALLOW Arizona and California deserts: (Sphaeralcea ambigua). Peach-pink. February-May. Texas-New Mexico deserts: (Sphaeralcea angustifolia). Pink. May-October. Mallow family. Size: 1 to 5 feet tall, often clustered.