Malva pseudolavatera |
Malva arborea |
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Cornish mallow, Cretan mallow, Cretan or smaller tree mallow |
tree mallow |
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Habit | Herbs, annual, biennial, or perennial, 1–3 m, sparsely stellate-hairy. | Herbs, biennial or perennial, or subshrubs, 1–3 m, stellate-tomentose. |
Stems | usually erect, rarely prostrate, base not woody. |
erect, base usually woody. |
Leaves | stipules deciduous, broadly lanceolate to ovate, 4–4.5 × 2 mm, papery, sparsely puberulent, ciliate, hairs simple; petioles of proximal leaves to 3.5 times as long as blade, usually equaling blade on distal portion of stems, stellate-hairy to glabrate; blade suborbiculate, 4–10 × 4–10 cm, base cordate, surfaces sparsely stellate-hairy, 3–4 mm, equaling to shorter than calyx, margins entire, apex obtuse, surfaces stellate-hairy. |
stipules deciduous, ovate, 4–5 × 2–3 mm, papery, apex acute to obtuse, sparsely stellate-hairy and ciliate; petiole longer than blade; blade rounded, shallowly and unequally 5–7(–9)-lobed (lobes obtuse), 5–20 × 5–20 cm, base cordate, margins crenate, apex obtuse to rounded, surfaces densely soft stellate-hairy especially abaxially. |
Inflorescences | axillary, flowers in fascicles. |
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Pedicels | jointed distally, 0.5–1 cm, not much longer in fruit; involucellar bractlets connate in proximal 1/3, adnate to calyx, lobes broadly ovate to round, 8 × 5–6 mm, longer than calyx, margins entire, apex acute or obtuse, surfaces stellate-hairy. |
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Flowers | calyx (4–)7–8 mm, to 11 mm in fruit, densely soft stellate-hairy; petals pale pink to white, sometimes drying bluish, usually with 3 darker veins, 10–16 mm, length 2 1/2–4 times calyx; staminal column 5 mm, densely stellate-hairy; style 7–10-branched; stigmas 7–10 (same number as locules). |
calyx 3–4 mm, not much enlarged in fruit, densely stellate-canescent; petals rose to lavender with 5 darker veins, dark purple basally, 15–20 mm, length 4–5 times calyx, apex emarginate; staminal column 8–10 mm, glabrous proximally, stellate-hairy distally; anthers purplish; style (6–)8(or 9)-branched; stigmas (6–)8(or 9). |
Seeds | brown, 2.5–2.7 mm. |
dark brown, 3 mm. |
Schizocarps | 9–12 mm diam., style base often expanded and disclike; mericarps 7–10, 4 × 4 mm, margins rounded, smooth, usually cross-ridged, surfaces usually glabrous. |
8–10 mm diam.; mericarps (6–)8(or 9), 4–5 mm, margins sharp-angled, apical surface and sides ridged, surfaces glabrous or hairy. |
2n | = 44, 112. |
= 36, 40, 42, 44. |
Malva pseudolavatera |
Malva arborea |
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Phenology | Flowering mostly Apr–Jun. | Flowering Apr–May(–Sep). |
Habitat | Disturbed areas, coastal bluffs, dunes | Disturbed areas, coastal bluffs, dunes |
Elevation | 0–800 m (0–2600 ft) | 0–200 m (0–700 ft) |
Distribution |
CA; Europe; w Asia; n Africa; Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands) [Introduced in North America; introduced also in South America (Ecuador), s Africa, Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
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CA; OR; Europe; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Australia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Baja California), Africa (Libya), Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands)]
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Discussion | Malva pseudolavatera is naturalized in California along the coast and apparently is spreading. The name M. multiflora (Cavanilles) Soldano, Bamfi & Golasso (based on Malope multiflora Cavanilles) has been proposed as the correct name. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Malva arborea is infrequently cultivated as a garden ornamental. It is traditionally placed in Lavatera and has three prominent, spreading, rounded, earlike involucellar bractlets and inconspicuous sepals. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 291. | FNA vol. 6, p. 288. |
Parent taxa | Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Malva | Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Malva |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | Lavatera cretica | Lavatera arborea |
Name authority | Webb & Berthelot: Hist. Nat. Îles Canaries 3(2,1): 29. (1836) | (Linnaeus) Webb & Berthelot: Hist. Nat. Îles Canaries 3(2,1): 30. (1836) |
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