Desert Five-Spot

Eremalche rotundifolium
(formerly Malvastrum rotundifolium)

Desert Five Spot, photo by Lara Hartley

Range

Mojave and Sonoran deserts of southeastern California, southern Nevada and western Arizona below 4,000 feet.

Habitat

Dry, open desert bajadas, washes and flats.

Flowers

Pink to purple globes with 5 petals open at the top bloom March through May. Inside, the center is creamy with 5 deep, purple blotches surrounding many stamens. The 5 "spots" actually occur at the base of each petal. Flowers open in the afternoon and close at night.

Description

The desert five-spot is one of the most beautiful flowers that grows in the desert. This annual herb, a member of the Mallow family (Malvaceae), grows 4 to 24 inches high. Its sparse leaves are round to heart-shaped, with scalloped margins up to 2 inches wide. The color of the leaves is green and often red with short, bristly hairs.

When light passes through the delicate petals of the flower, the globe resembles a glowing lantern. For this reason, the desert five-spot is also known as the lantern flower and Chinese lantern.

Desert Five-Spot

More Wildflowers

We have an online wildflower field guide that is designed to help you identify desert wildflowers by color, scientific name, region and common name. The pictures are sized to work on the iPod, iPhone, iPad and similar devices. With your iPod or phone you will easily be able to identify wildflowers while in the desert. Links for downloads are on the bottom of the Wildflower Field Guide page.

Photo tips: Most digital point-and-shoot cameras have a macro function - usually symbolized by the icon of a little flower. When you turn on that function, you allow your camera to get closer to the subject, looking into a flower for example. Or getting up close and personal with a bug. More on desert photography.

Mojave Desert Wildflowers - This book is the standard by which all other wildflower books are measured. The author, Jon Mark Stewart, has combined super photography with concise information. This book has an entire color page for each wildflower covered, with a discussion of the wildflower. 210 pages with 200 color photos. More...

What's Blooming Now - Check the Wildflower Reports

More Wildflowers