Although I'm not entirely sure, I think I have identified this as the Desert Globemallow from Meg Quinn's book, "Wildflowers of the Desert Southwest." Out at Saguaro National Park, on a bulletin board of currently blooming flowers, the plant was called Apricot Mallow. This photo was taken on the Dove Mountain Rd trail.
The deep orange caught my eye. Because so many desert plants are yellow or white, this one pops out with its lovely gray green scallop edged leaves.
"Wildflowers of the Desert Southwest" also calls this plant sore eye poppy, because if you contact the leaves and then accidentally wipe your eye, there can be an irritation. I've done that many times when I've weeded marigolds or picked them for bouquets. Marigolds have a unique smell to them, too, when you cut through the stems or bruise the leaves.
The wildflowers are already blooming in southern Arizona. Not a lot, but certainly starting to put on a good show.
Copyright 2012
Wanda Hayes Eichler
While living in El Paso, Texas, I was always excited to see the cacti blooms. The most prickly of cactus always had the most delicate and fragrant of blossoms-orchid like in fragile beauty. Enjoy your time in the desert, it is always an adventure in beauty!
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