Plant Name
Scientific Name: Herissantia crispa
Synonyms: Abutilon crispum, Bogenhardia crispa, Gayoides crispum
Common Names: Bladdermallow, Herissantia, Curly Bladder Mallow
Plant Characteristics
Duration: Annual, Perennial
Growth Habit: Subshrub, Herb/Forb
Arizona Native Status: Native
Habitat: Desert. It grows on rocky slopes and in the lower mountain foothills.
Flower Color: Pale orange-yellow, Yellowish cream
Flowering Season: Spring, Summer, Fall. It blooms sporadically throughout most of the year whenever there is sufficient rain. Late summer and early fall after the summer monsoon rains is the peak blooming time.
Height: To 3 feet (91 cm) tall
Description: The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils. The individual flowers are 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) wide and have 5 petals and a fused central cluster of stamens. The flowers are followed by segmented, inflated, balloon-like, green fruits that dry to a papery brown. The leaves are hairy, light green, toothed, and heart-shaped. The stems are often loose and sprawling.
Classification
Kingdom: Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass: Dilleniidae
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae – Mallow family
Genus: Herissantia Medik. – herissantia
Species: Herissantia crispa (L.) Briz. – bladdermallow
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