Malva neglecta |
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cheeses, cheeseweed, common mallow, dwarf mallow, mauve négligée |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, biennial, or perennial, 0.2–0.6 m, trailing stems sometimes to 1 m, usually sparsely stellate-hairy and with simple hairs. |
Stems | usually prostrate to ascending, sometimes trailing, sparsely stellate-hairy with simple hairs persistent on older stems. |
Leaves | stipules persistent, narrowly triangular, 3–6 × 2.5 mm, papery; petiole usually 2–5 times as long as blade, gradually reduced distally; blade reniform to orbiculate-cordate, unlobed or very shallowly 5–7-lobed, 1.5–3.5(–6) × 1–4(–5) cm, base cordate, margins crenate-dentate, apex obtuse or rounded, surfaces glabrous or sparsely stellate-hairy. |
Inflorescences | axillary, 2–6-flowered fascicles, long-stalked. |
Pedicels | 1–5 cm, usually 10+ mm in fruit, several times longer than calyx, slender and flexible in fruit; involucellar bractlets distinct, not adnate to calyx, linear to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 3–5(–6) × 1 mm, shorter than calyx, margins entire, surfaces sparsely stellate-puberulent and short-ciliate. |
Flowers | calyx 4–7 mm, slightly accrescent, to 8 mm in fruit, lobes enclosing mericarps, not veined, triangular-ovate, stellate-hairy, ciliate; petals pale lilac to whitish, drying pinkish or whitish, or faded, veins not darker, (6–)9–13 mm, length 2 times calyx, apex notched; staminal column 4–4.5 mm, retrorsely stellate-puberulent; style 12–15-branched; stigmas 12–15 (same number as locules), purple. |
Seeds | 1–1.5 mm. |
Schizocarps | 6 mm diam.; mericarps 12–15, 1.5–2 mm, apical face and margins rounded-angled, not winged or toothed, sides thin and papery, smooth to slightly roughened or reticulate, surfaces puberulent apically. |
2n | = 42. |
Malva neglecta |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Oct. |
Habitat | Disturbed areas, vacant lots, farm yards |
Elevation | 0–2700 m (0–8900 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; AL; AR; AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NF; NS; NT; ON; PE; QC; SK; Europe; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Chihuahua), West Indies (Dominican Republic), Central America (Panama), South America (Argentina, Brazil), s Asia (India, Pakistan), Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
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Discussion | Malva neglecta is the most commonly found mallow in most of North America. It has been introduced essentially worldwide in temperate areas and is usually considered a weed. In some older treatments, it was included within M. rotundifolia Linnaeus, a name rejected because of its inconsistent use for this species as well as for M. pusilla and other species. The immature, mucilaginous fruits are sometimes eaten; they have the appearance and texture of an old-fashioned wheel of cheese, hence one of the common names. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 290. |
Parent taxa | Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Malva |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Wallroth: in C. F. Hornschuch, Syll. Pl. Nov. 1: 140. (1824) |
Web links |
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