The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

alkali mallow, cheeseweed, cheeseweed mallow, little mallow, mauve parviflore, small-flower mallow, small-whorl mallow

common mallow, garden mallow, high mallow, mauve des bois

Habit Herbs, annual, 0.2–0.8 m. Herbs, annual, biennial, or perennial, 0.5—1.5(–3) m, hairy to glabrate, hairs simple and stellate.
Stems

usually erect or ascending, rarely decumbent, wide-branched, glabrous or sparsely stellate-hairy distally.

erect or ascending, glabrous or sparsely hairy, hairs both simple and stellate.

Leaves

stipules persistent, broadly lanceolate, 4–5 × 2–3 mm;

petiole 2–3(–4) times as long as blade;

blade suborbiculate-cordate or reniform, mostly shallowly 5–7-lobed or angled, 2–8(–10) × 2–8(–10) cm, base cordate (to nearly truncate), lobes deltate or rounded, margins evenly crenate, apex rounded to broadly acute, surfaces glabrous or hairy, especially at base, hairs simple and stellate.

stipules persistent, lanceolate to ovate-triangular, 3–5(–8) × 3 mm;

petiole 1/2 to 1 1/2 times as long as blade, pubescent in adaxial groove, otherwise glabrous;

blade reniform to suborbiculate-cordate, unlobed or shallowly 3–7-lobed, sinuses to 1/2 to base, (2–)5–10(–14) × (2–)5–10(–14) cm, base cordate to ± truncate, lobes semicircular to oblong, margins crenate, apex rounded to wide-acute, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy, hairs simple or stellate.

Inflorescences

axillary, flowers solitary or in 2–4-flowered fascicles.

axillary, flowers solitary or in 2–4-flowered fascicles, long-stalked.

Pedicels

0.2–0.4 cm, usually to 1 cm in fruit, shorter than calyx;

involucellar bractlets distinct, not adnate to calyx, linear to filiform, (1–)2–3 × 0.3 mm, shorter than calyx, margins entire, surfaces glabrous or slightly ciliate.

1–2.5 cm, 1–4.5 cm in fruit, much longer than calyx, glabrous or sparsely stellate-hairy;

involucellar bractlets distinct, sometimes adnate to calyx in basal 1 mm, oblong-lanceolate to elliptic or narrowly obovate, reticulate-veined, (3–)4–5(–7) × 2.5–4 mm, shorter than calyx, margins entire, surfaces glabrous, sparsely ciliate.

Flowers

calyx 3–4.5 mm, to 7–8 mm in fruit, glabrous or stellate-hairy, lobes wide-spreading outward in fruit, orbiculate-deltate, reticulate-veined, apex often abruptly acuminate, short-ciliate or not, scarious in fruit;

petals white to pale lilac, drying pinkish or whitish, or faded, veins not darker, 3–4.5(–5) mm, subequal to or only slightly longer than calyx, glabrous;

staminal column 1.5 mm, glabrous;

style 10- or 11-branched;

stigmas 10 or 11.

calyx reticulate-veined, 5–6 mm, to 10 mm in fruit, lobes incompletely enclosing mericarps, stellate-puberulent;

petals pink to purple or reddish purple with darker veins, usually drying blue, (12–)16–30(–45) mm, length 2 1/2–3(–4) times calyx;

staminal column 5 mm, minutely, retrorsely stellate-puberulent;

style 10–12-branched;

stigmas 10–12.

Seeds

1.5–2 mm.

1.5–2.2 mm.

Schizocarps

6–7 mm diam.;

mericarps 10 or 11, 2–2.5 mm, apical face strongly reticulate-wrinkled, sides appearing strongly, radially ribbed, margins sharp-edged, toothed, narrowly winged, surface glabrous or hairy.

7 mm diam.;

mericarps 10–12, 2–2.5 mm, margins sharp, not winged, sides thin and papery, with radiating veins, surface strongly to obscurely reticulate-wrinkled, usually glabrous, sometimes sparsely hairy.

2n

= 42.

= 42.

Malva parviflora

Malva sylvestris

Phenology Flowering year-round. Flowering mostly Apr–Oct.
Habitat Disturbed, usually dry, warm sites Disturbed areas, roadsides, farm yards, pastures
Elevation 0–2500 m (0–8200 ft) 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AZ; CA; CO; FL; GA; IA; ID; KS; LA; MA; MD; MO; MT; ND; NE; NJ; NM; NV; NY; OK; OR; SC; SD; TX; UT; WA; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; ON; PE; QC; SK; Eurasia (possibly as far east as India); n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, elsewhere in Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; CT; DC; DE; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OR; PA; RI; SC; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NB; NS; ON; QC; SK; Europe; temperate Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, Central America (Guatemala, Honduras), South America (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Malva parviflora is native in southwestern Europe and the Mediterranean region to India; it is commonly introduced in many parts of the world. It is distinguished from similar species by its short petals (often equaling the calyx), the lack of darker lines on the petals, and the wide-spreading calyx lobes in fruit. The sharp-edged or winged mericarp with a conspicuously reticulate-pitted surface is likewise distinctive.

Malva parviflora is more heat-tolerant than most Malva species. It is especially common as a weed from California to Texas. Northern records should be checked because some may be based upon waifs and others may be based on misidentifications. In some older floras, M. parviflora was confused with M. rotundifolia, a name rejected because of its inconsistent use for this as well as for M. pusilla and other species. It is sometimes cultivated as a forage crop in semi-arid regions.

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

Malva sylvestris is native throughout Europe except in the extreme north and into temperate Asia and northern Africa and is widely cultivated for food and ornament. It is the most commonly cultivated Malva in most of the

United States. It is not very tolerant of hot, arid conditions. It is variable in habit, indument, leaf shape, and corolla size and color; most variants originated as selections/cultivars. The flowers and fruits indicate its close relationship with M. nicaeensis; the upright habit and much larger flowers allow an easy distinction.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 291. FNA vol. 6, p. 292.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Malva Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Malva
Sibling taxa
M. alcea, M. arborea, M. assurgentiflora, M. moschata, M. neglecta, M. nicaeensis, 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. verticillata
Synonyms M. mauritiana, M. sylvestris var. mauritiana
Name authority Linnaeus: Demonstr. Pl., 18. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 689. (1753)
Web links