WW Mallow

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White Wildflower Gallery

Mallow-like Shapes

Malvaceae - Mallow family
Cotton Gossypium hirsutum
Why cotton plants are not found in gardens is beyond me. The large green leaves have three pointed lobes. The flower bracts, small leafs that cover bud, have edge serrations that looks like fire. The bud is bright pink, unwinding into a bright, 3"-4" wide white flower. As the bolls (seed pods) mature the flower turns pinkish/red then falls off. The green boll grows, dry out, and pops open to reveal a fun handful of tangled cotton fibers and thousands of seeds. Farmers defoliate the plants to harvest the cotton.
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, September 2004
(crop plant - Native of North America)

Similar Species

Scrufymallow Malvella lepidota
White flowers with a pink blush, 1" wide, from leaf axis. Triangular to round leaves with crinkled edges, 3/4" long, hairy.
(Native of Texas - Taylor)
See similar Alkali Mallow

Hedgehog Prickly Poppy, Argemone squarrosa (1)

Hedgehog Prickly Poppy, Argemone squarrosa (11)

Hedgehog Prickly Poppy, Argemone squarrosa (13)

Hedgehog Prickly Poppy, Argemone squarrosa (6)

Hedgehog Prickly Poppy, Argemone squarrosa (2)

Hedgehog Prickly Poppy, Argemone squarrosa (4)

Papaveraceae - Poppy family
Hedgehog Prickly Poppy Argemone squarrosa
Photos taken in Taylor County, Texas, April & July 2004, September 2006
(Native of Texas - Taylor)

Plant: 2-3 feet tall, widely branching, stems prickly, drought tolerant
Flower: white petal, 4 1/4" wide, 1-2 bracts below
Buds: up to 1" tall body, prickly, 3 horns are angular with a hard tip spine
Seedpod: 2" long, narrow, unequal herbaceous prickles with longest ones branched
Leaf: lobed more than halfway to midrib, tip is angular, marginal teeth, clasping, bottom veins prickly, top surface can be prickly or not

Similar Species

Texas Prickly Poppy Argemone aurantiaca
(Native of Texas - Taylor)

Plant: 2-3 feet tall, widely branching, stems prickly, drought tolerant
Flower: white petal, 4 3/4" wide, 1-2 bracts below
Buds: up to 1" tall body, longest prickles sometimes branched, 3 horns are angular or flattened
Seedpod: 2" tall, herbaceous prickles are often branched, very unequal
Leaf: lobed nearly to midrib, often clasping, bottom surface can be prickly or not, top surface less so

White Prickly Poppy, Argemone albiflora (1)

White Prickly Poppy, Argemone albiflora (2)

Papaveraceae - Poppy family
White Prickly Poppy Argemone albiflora
Plant was about 4 foot tall.
Photo taken in Coleman County, Texas, May 2004
(Native of Texas - Coleman, Brown, Coke)

Plant: 3-5 feet tall, stems moderately prickly, drought tolerant
Flower: white petal, 4" wide, 1-2 bracts below
Buds: up to 3/4" tall, 3 small horns are tapered cylinders without spines except at base
Seedpod: 1 1/2" tall, very prickly but surface visible, widely spaced long prickles with a fewer smaller unequal ones
Leaf: lobed more than halfway to midrib, not prickly on top or bottom surface except on veins

Similar Species

Crested Prickly Poppy Argemone polyanthemos
(Native of Texas - Taylor, Callahan, Brown Nolan, Fisher)

Plant: 3-4 feet tall, stems sparingly prickly, drought tolerant
Flower: white or lavender petal, 4" wide, 1-2 bracts below
Buds: up to 1" tall body, sparse prickles, 3 horns are hard and usually without prickles
Seedpod: 2" tall, very prickly but surface visible, widely spaced long prickles with shorter ones
Leaf: lobed more than halfway to midrib, clasping, bottom surface has scattered prickles, no prickles on top surface

Also see:
red mallow-like blue mallow-like
yellow mallow

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