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Cornish mallow, Cretan mallow, Cretan or smaller tree mallow

tree mallow

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.

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.

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

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
from FNA
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]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR; Europe; Pacific Islands (New Zealand); Australia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico (Baja California), Africa (Libya), Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands)]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
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
M. alcea, M. arborea, M. assurgentiflora, M. moschata, M. neglecta, M. nicaeensis, M. parviflora, M. pusilla, M. sylvestris, M. verticillata
M. alcea, M. assurgentiflora, M. moschata, M. neglecta, M. nicaeensis, M. parviflora, M. pseudolavatera, M. pusilla, M. sylvestris, M. verticillata
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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