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

bull mallow

Habit Herbs, annual, biennial, or perennial, 0.5—1.5(–3) m, hairy to glabrate, hairs simple and stellate. Herbs, annual or biennial, 0.2–0.6 m, sparsely to densely hairy, hairs both simple and stellate.
Stems

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

procumbent or trailing to ascending, villous-hirsute.

Leaves

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.

stipules persistent, ovate to broadly ovate, 4–6 × 3–5 mm;

petiole 2–5 times as long as blade;

blade semicircular or reniform, 2–4 × 2–4 cm, sometimes to 12 cm in young plants, base cordate to nearly truncate, distalmost leaves sometimes wide-cuneate, margins crenate or dentate, undulate, or with 5–7 shallow, lobes, apex obtuse, rounded, or acute, surfaces sparsely hairy, hairs simple.

Inflorescences

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

stellate;

petals pink to lavender, drying bluish, usually with darker veins, 5–15 mm, subequal to or length slightly less than 2 times calyx, glabrous or nearly so;

staminal column 2–2.5(–3) mm, densely, retrorsely puberulent, hairs simple;

style 7–10-branched;

stigmas 7–10.

Pedicels

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 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

1.5–2.2 mm.

dark brown, 2–2.5 mm.

Schizocarps

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.

6–7 mm diam.;

mericarps 7–10, 3 mm, thick, as wide as long, margins sharp-angled but not winged, conspicuously, deeply reticulate-pitted apically, surfaces densely hirsute or glabrous.

2n

= 42.

= 42.

Malva sylvestris

Malva nicaeensis

Phenology Flowering mostly Apr–Oct. Flowering year-round.
Habitat Disturbed areas, roadsides, farm yards, pastures Disturbed sites
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) 0–400(–1200) m (0–1300(–3900) ft)
Distribution
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]
from FNA
AL; CA; s Europe; w Asia; n Africa [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, South America (Argentina, Chile), Atlantic Islands (Macaronesia), Pacific Islands (New Zealand), Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

Malva nicaeensis has been collected as a waif in Massachusetts and New Jersey and has been reported in British Columbia and Montana; vouchers have not been found. One vouchered collection has been reported from Mobile County, Alabama. In the flora area, it is found most commonly in the Mediterranean climate of California. It may not be established elsewhere within our range. In some older treatments it was identified as or included within M. rotundifolia, a name rejected because of its inconsistent use for this as well as for M. pusilla and other species. It is similar to M. sylvestris, except for its decumbent habit and smaller flowers.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 292. FNA vol. 6, p. 290.
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. pseudolavatera, M. pusilla, M. verticillata
M. alcea, M. arborea, M. assurgentiflora, M. moschata, M. neglecta, M. parviflora, M. pseudolavatera, M. pusilla, M. sylvestris, M. verticillata
Synonyms M. mauritiana, M. sylvestris var. mauritiana
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 689. (1753) Allioni: Fl. Pedem. 2: 40. (1785)
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