SH 



MALVACF.AR. 



Vol. II. 



I. Althaea officinalis L. Alarsh-Mallow. 

 Wymote. Fig.' 2847. 



Althaea officinalis L. Sp. PI. 686. 1753. 



Perennial, herbaceous, erect, 2-4 high, branch- 

 ing, densely velvety pubescent. Leaves broadly 

 ovate, acute or obtuse, dentate and generally 

 3-lobed, the lower ones often cordate ; veins ele- 

 vated on the lower surfaces; petioles i'-l' long; 

 flowers in terminal and axillary narrow racemes, 

 pink, about I'-il' broad; bractlets of the involu- 

 cels 6-9, linear, shorter than the S ovate-lanceolate 

 acute calyx-segments; carpels 15-20, tomentose. 



In salt marshes, coast of Massachusetts, Connecti- 

 cut and New York ; Pennsylvania. Michigan. Re- 

 ported from New Jersey and Arkansas. Naturalized 

 from Europe. Roots thick, very mucilaginous, used 

 in confectionery, and in medicine as a demulcent. 

 Summer. Mortification-root. Sweat-weed. 



Althaea cannabina L., with digitately 5-parted 

 leaves, has been found in waste places at Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 



Althaea rosea I-., the ffollyhock, is occasionally 

 seen in waste places, spontaneous after cultivation. 



2. MALVA [Tourn.] L. Sp. PL 687. 1753. 

 Pubescent or glabrate herbs, with dentate lobed or dissected leaves, and axillary or 

 terininal solitary or clustered perfect flowers. Calyx 5-cleft. Bractlets of the involucels 3 

 (rarely none). Petals 5. Stamen-column anther-bearing at the summit. Cavities of the 

 ovary several or numerous, i-ovuled; style-branches of the same 

 along the inner side. Carpels arranged in a circle, l-seeded^ 

 ascending. [Greek, referring to the emollient leaves.] 



About 30 species, natives of the Old World. In addition to the following, another is natural 

 ized in California. Type species ; Malva sylvestris L. 

 Leaves with 5-9 shallow lobes. 



Petals 2-4 times the length of the calyx. 

 Petals 1-2 times the length of the calyx. 

 Procumbent, low. 

 Erect, tall. 

 Leaves deeply 5-7-lobed. 



Stem-leaves deeply lobed ; carpels glabrous. 

 Stem-leaves 1-3-pinnatifid ; carpels downy. 



I. Malva sylvestris L. High ^Mallow. 

 Fig. 2848. 



Maha sylvestris L. Sp. PI. 689. 1753. 



Biennial, erect or ascending, branched, pubescent with 

 loose spreading hairs, or glabrate. Leaves orbicular, or 

 reniform, il'-4' wide, with 5-9 shallow angular or 

 rounded lobes, crenate-denate, truncate or cordate at 

 the base: petioles 2'-6' long; flowers reddish-purple. 

 2-4 times as long as the calyx; carpels about 1,0, flat 

 I'-iV broad, in axillary clusters; pedicels slender ; petals 

 on the back, rugose-reticulate. 



number, linear, stigmatic 

 beakless, indebiscent. Seed 



M. sylvestris. 



M. rotiindifoUa. 

 M. -'eriicillala. 



M. moschaia. 

 M. Alcea. 



In waste places and along roadsides, sparingly adventive 

 from Europe in the United States, Canada and Mexico, 

 escaped from cultivation. Native also in Siberia. Summer. 

 English names, common maHow, cheese-flower, cheese-cake, 

 pick-cheese, round dock, maul. Country-mallow. 



