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cheeses, cheeseweed, common mallow, dwarf mallow, mauve négligée

Chinese mallow, cluster mallow, mauve verticillée, whorled mallow, whorled or cluster or Chinese or curled mallow

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. Herbs, annual, 0.5–2.5 m, glabrous or hairy, hairs usually stellate.
Stems

usually prostrate to ascending, sometimes trailing, sparsely stellate-hairy with simple hairs persistent on older stems.

erect, usually stellate-hairy.

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.

stipules persistent, ovate-triangular, slightly falcate, 4–7 × (2–)4–5 mm, usually papery;

petiole shorter than to equaling or longer than blade, surfaces often glabrate abaxially, stellate-hairy adaxially;

blade round to broadly reniform, unlobed or broadly, shallowly 5–7-lobed, 3–10(–25) × (2–)5–10(–25) cm, base cordate or sometimes ± not adnate to calyx, linear to lanceolate, reticulate-veined, 2–3 × 0.5 mm, to 6 × 1 mm in fruit, shorter than calyx, thin and translucent, margins entire, sparsely stellate-puberulent and ciliate.

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.

calyx reticulate-veined, 4–6 mm, to 10 mm in fruit, lobes enclosing mericarps, papery, stellate-puberulent;

petals pale lilac to whitish with lavender-pink tips, drying pinkish or whitish, or faded, veins not darker, 5–8 mm, subequal to or longer than calyx;

staminal column 2 mm, usually sparsely hairy or glabrous, hairs minute;

style 8–11-branched;

stigmas 8–11 (same number as locules).

Seeds

1–1.5 mm.

2–2.5 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.

7–9 mm diam.;

mericarps 8–11, 2.5–3 mm, glabrous, apical face smooth to obscurely reticulate at margins, not toothed or winged, lateral faces radially ribbed, very thin over seed.

2n

= 42.

= 84, 112.

Malva neglecta

Malva verticillata

Phenology Flowering Apr–Oct. Flowering (May–)Jul–Oct.
Habitat Disturbed areas, vacant lots, farm yards Disturbed areas, old gardens, roadsides
Elevation 0–2700 m (0–8900 ft) 0–3000 m (0–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
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]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; CT; DC; DE; IA; IL; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; PA; RI; UT; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; SK; Eurasia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America (Peru) and in temperate regions worldwide]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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.)

Malva verticillata is commonly grown as a vegetable and medicinal herb. Variety verticillata is apparently native in eastern Asia, particularly China, and has a long history of cultivation there for use as a cooked vegetable and salad plant, and in traditional medicine. It differs from var. crispa Linnaeus in its flatter leaf blades and generally shorter stems. It has only rarely been found naturalized in North America; its garden use is increasing and it is becoming more frequently planted by eastern Asian immigrants. Variety crispa (with conspicuously undulate/ruffled/crisped leaves) is also grown as a vegetable and the leaves are sometimes used in salads. It is more commonly found as an escape or naturalized plant than the typical variety and it is sometimes treated as a species; it appears to be a selection derived from var. verticillata and is unknown in the wild. Variety crispa is more widely cultivated and naturalized in Europe and is naturalized in Asia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 290. FNA vol. 6, p. 293.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Malva Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Malva
Sibling taxa
M. alcea, M. arborea, M. assurgentiflora, M. moschata, M. nicaeensis, M. parviflora, M. pseudolavatera, M. pusilla, M. sylvestris, M. verticillata
M. alcea, M. arborea, M. assurgentiflora, M. moschata, M. neglecta, M. nicaeensis, M. parviflora, M. pseudolavatera, M. pusilla, M. sylvestris
Synonyms M. crispa, M. verticillata var. chinensis, M. verticillata var. crispa
Name authority Wallroth: in C. F. Hornschuch, Syll. Pl. Nov. 1: 140. (1824) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 689. (1753)
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