A New Flower

As summer progresses, so do the flowers on the mountain. The yellow and white blossoms were replaced with blues and purples. Then mid-summer brought out the pinks and reds. The Indian Paintbrush is blooming prolifically right now and since the plants grow in groupings, the red is multiplied and vibrant. By now the progression of blossoms is predictable to me, so I was surprised to find a new flower that I don't remember seeing before. It's blossoms look somewhat like a hollyhock, but the leaves are a much different shape. The flower stalk was nearly as tall as me! I need to find my wildflower book and identify it, but maybe YOU already know and can tune me in! Isn't it beautiful? I found two plants with tall flowered stalks right beside one another. I can see it nowhere else in the woods. A mystery.


The resolution:  Globe Mallow (Iliamna rivularis, I. longisepala).  Mallow family Malvaceae.  Globe mallow is a close relative of hollyhock and hibiscus, a stout perennial of stiffly erect stems, several to a clump.