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| Photo
by Renee Brecht |
Britton and Brown. See
credits below. |
| Botanical name: |
Hibiscus moscheutos |
| Common
name: |
Swamp
rose mallow
|
| Synonomy: |
n/a
|
| Group: |
Dicot
|
| Family: |
Malvaceae |
| Growth
Type: |
Subshrub/Shrub/Forb/herb
|
| Duration: |
Annual;
Perennial
|
| Plant
height: |
4-6'
|
| Foliage: |
The
stems and leaves of the marsh mallow are covered with minute, dense,
hairs; the leaves are three lobed.
|
| Flowers: |
4-7"
wide; pink or white, sometimes with a crimson center
|
| Flowering/fruiting time |
Flowers
late July to early September; fruits late September through autumn.
|
| Habitat: |
Coast
and river marshes
|
| Range
in
New Jersey: |
Throughtout
the state, very common southward along the Delaware River and the coast
marshes.
|
| Heritage ranking if any: |
n/a
|
| Distribution |
|
| Misc.: |
USDA
lists as Obligate wetland species; i.e., occurs almost always
(estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in wetlands.
Witmer Stone, in 1911, wrote:
"The flowering of the Mallows on the coast and river marshes is perhaps
the most extensive display of color that the flora of our region
presents. Throughout the month of August they form great masses of pink
and white bloom, which can be seen at a long distance, and seem to be
laid out over the swamps like flower beds in a garden.
The flowers are either pink or white, with or without a crimson eye.
Only one style occurs on any given plant, but the plants are usually
mixed together indiscriminately, and show, besides differently colored
flowers, considerable difference in the shape of the leaves, pods, and
calyx-lobes."
The form with all-pink flowers is sometimes classified as a separate
species, Hibiscus palustris.
Hibiscus,
The
ancient Greek and Latin name for a mallow-like plant; moscheutos,
musk scented. |
Not sure what a word means? Use Answers.com:
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| Sources |
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