Apricot mallow blooming east of Reno, Nevada

 apricot mallow flowers
Apricot Mallow

Orange bowls of wild apricot mallows
Drought-tolerant apricot mallows (Sphaeralcea ambigua), also known as desert globemallows, are today cultivated in specialty nurseries as ornamental plants for desert gardening and landscaping. Apricot mallows can be found in the wild on the gravelly and dry slopes of Hidden Valley Regional Park east of Reno; contrasting the brown-gray soil of the Virginia Range. The shiny orange corolla is shaped like a bowl or cup—quarter dollar sized or smaller. The rounded petals look like they are fused together, what makes it difficult to see that each perianth has five of them. A cluster of tiny stamens is centered at the bottom of each bowl. The generally bisexual flowers occur at various sides of the hairy stem, which may grow to a length of three feet.
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More to explore about apricot mallow
▶ The American Southwest: Sphaeralcea ambigua, desert globemallow
▶ Las Pilitas Nursery: Sphaeralcea ambigua
▶ Ken's Photo Gallery: Desert Globemallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua)