Taxon Report

Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia (Hook. & Arn.) Rydb.

currant-leaved desert mallow

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Taxon Summary

Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia, commonly known as currant-leaved desert mallow, is a perennial herb in the Malvaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chenopod scrub, and Great Basin scrub, growing at elevations from 1200 to 2100 meters. Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia is ranked 2B.3, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Not very threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia (Hook. & Arn.) Rydb.
Common Name:	currant-leaved desert mallow
Family:	Malvaceae
Element Code:	PDMAL140U0
USDA Plants Symbol:	SPGR2
Synonyms/Other Names:	Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia ssp. grossulariifolia

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: May-Oct	May-Oct
Elevation:	1200-2100 (3935-6890)
General Habitats:	Chenopod scrub, Great Basin scrub
Microhabitat:	Volcanic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.3
Global Rank:	G4G5
State Rank:	S2
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	changed from 2.3 to 2B.3 on 2013-06-12

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	11
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	10

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Lassen (LAS), Mono (MNO)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Bull Flat (4012041), Calneva Lake (4012021), Little Mud Flat (4012042), Spencer Creek (4012031), Topaz Lake (3811965), Wendel (4012032)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	1
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	6	55 %
Other	6	54%

Notes



Naturalized in SBA Co. See Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club 40(1):58 (1913) for revised nomenclature, and University of California Publications in Botany 19(1):86-88 (1935) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 9 November 2025].