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.

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