''Hibiscus denudatus'' (

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s: paleface, rock hibiscus) is a

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

of the mallow family,

Malvaceae Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...

. It is in the rosemallow genus, '' Hibiscus''. It is found in the southwest of

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

in the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

and northern

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

in the states of extreme southeast

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, southern

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

, southern

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

and

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...

, southwest

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

-north,

Sonora Sonora (), officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Sonora ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Sonora), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the Administrative divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The state is d ...

Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places *Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mun ...

, and

Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...

. It can be found in the

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of t ...

and

Sonoran Desert The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizona ...

s, and in the east to the

Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower P ...

. In California, Rock Hibiscus is exclusive to the southeast, the

Colorado Desert California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert. It encompasses approximately , including the heavily irrigated Coachella and Imperial valleys. It is home to many unique flora and fauna. Geography and geology The Colorado De ...

-(northwestern

) and neighboring

state, Mexico.Jepson: ''H. denudatus'', Benth, "Pale Face": 'Desert Province'
/ref>

Plant form

The form of the plant is somewhat straggly vertical branches reaching 2–4 feet (1.5 m), and not always a wide, full shrub. The leaves are small to 1½ in and about the same in width, and finely toothed. The leaves are a medium yellow green, hairy-surfaced, and elliptical to ovoid in shape. The flower is a pale white, hence the name paleface, or pale light lavender to light pink. The petals can be rice paper thin, and on some plants nearly translucent; the flower petals are broad and roundish, also overlapping; the entire flower is a broad cup shape. One vertical branch will often have a terminal flower, and axial flowers along the branch. The flowers will bloom depending on seasonal temperatures starting in January to the end of late summer/fall in October. The plant can be found in desert washes, also rocky slopes, and mesas, up to elevation. In the southwest Arizona deserts in the western Sonoran Desert, it can be found in the desert washes with desert lavender which has a similar color and shaped leaf; the desert lavender often blooms before Rock Hibiscus. Image:Hibiscus denudatus form.jpg Image:Hibiscus denudatus flower 2.jpg Image:Hibiscus denudatus flower 3.jpg

References

Jepson InterchangeJepson Flora Project: ''Hibiscus denudatus'', with MapUSDA: NRCS: Plants Profile ''Hibiscus denudatus''Images from the CalPhotos archive

External links

LBJ Wildflower Center database, w/ Photo GalleryPhoto-(High Res)--(close-up of Flower)
- (medium green serrate leaves in background)
Photo-High Res--(Plant Form, w/flower)Photo #2
- swsbm.com {{Taxonbar, from=Q3007151 denudatus North American desert flora Flora of the Chihuahuan Desert Flora of the Rio Grande valleys Flora of Arizona Flora of California Flora of Nevada Flora of New Mexico Flora of Texas Flora of Baja California Flora of Sonora Flora of Chihuahua (state) Flora of Coahuila Flora without expected TNC conservation status