Family – Malvaceae
Stems:
Stem and stipules.
Leaves:
Inflorescence:
N/A
Flowers:
Fruit.
Flowering – March – June, sometimes later.
Habitat – Low ground, lawns, fields, disturbed sites, roadsides.
Origin – Native to southeastern U.S. and tropical America.
Other information – This showy but weedy little species can be found scattered throughout Alabama. The plant is easy to identify becasue of its creeping stems, divided leaves, and orange-red flowers. The flowers are typical of the Malvaceae and resemble a miniature Hibiscus.
The genus name Modiola derives from the Latin “modiol(us)” meaning “a measure, a bucket on a water wheel, the nave of a wheel” for the fruits of the plant.
The species epithet means “of Carolina.”
Alabama Distribution:
Photographs taken off Lee Rd 54, Lee County, AL., 4-15-05 and 5-11-05.