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Project Noah Nature School
Hibiscus moscheutos
This is the winter structure of rose mallow, a type of wild hibiscus. The photo shows the pods after seed dispersal. This is a 3-8 ft., shrubby perennial with numerous sturdy stems arising from a single crown. In spring and summer, the large, heart-shaped leaves are grayish-green above and hairy-white below. The showy, five-petaled, creamy-white flowers have a conspicuous band of red or burgundy at their bases from which a tubular column of yellow stamens extends.
This one was photographed along the boardwalk over Butler Creek at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park in Augusta (Richmond County), GA. It is often found along edges of salt marshes but is more common in upper-valley wetlands.
Other common names include Crimsoneyed rosemallow, Crimson-eyed rose-mallow, Swamp Mallow, and Marshmallow Hibiscus. It is a member of the Mallow Family (Malvaceae).
Spotted on Dec 21, 2013
Submitted on Jan 26, 2014
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