1974 



MALVA 



MALVASTRUM 



MALVA (old Latin name from Greek, referring to the 

 emollient lys.). Malvaceae. Various annual, biennial 

 and perennial herbs, of considerable use in ornamental 

 plantings. 



From numerous allied genera, Malva is distinguished 

 by the carpels in a single whorl: ovules solitary, ascend- 

 ing: bractlets 3, 

 distinct: carpels 

 not beaked or 

 ap pendaged 

 within. They 

 are hirsute or 

 nearly glabrous 

 plants: Ivs. 

 angled, lobed or 

 dissected: fls. 

 solitary in the 

 axils, or clus- 

 tered, sessile or 

 peduncled; petals 5, 

 notched at the apex. 

 Species in the neigh- 

 borhood of 30, in Eu., 

 N. Afr., Asia; sev- 

 eral are naturalized in 

 N. Amer. Few of the 

 mallows are generally 

 in the trade. The most 

 common one is M. 

 moschata, although M. 

 crispa is frequently seen 

 in gardens for its tall 

 striking growth. They 

 require no special cul- 

 tural treatment. The 

 genus has been more 

 closely defined in re- 

 cent time, and some 



2309. Malva moschata. ( X %) 



of the plants that belong in Callir- 

 hoe, Malvastrum, and Sphseral- 

 cea are still likely to be listed 

 under Malva. 



2310. Malva rotundifolia. ( X 1 A) 



A. Fls. large and showy, 



in. across. 



B. Fr. downy, not wrinkled. 

 moschata, Linn. MUSK MAL- 

 LOW. Fig. 2309. Perennial, 1-2 

 ft. high, with simple pubescence: st.-lvs. 5-parted and 

 the parts 1-2-parted or cleft, the lobes being linear 

 (If .-formation variable): fls. rose or white; calyx with 

 long, simple hairs. Eu.; cult, and escaped. R.H. 1851 : 

 381. A good old garden subject, with fls. varying in 

 color shades, and run wild in grass along roadsides. The 

 white-fld. garden form is often listed as var. alba. 



BB. Fr. glabrous, minutely wrinkled or veiny. 

 Alcea, Linn. Much like M . moschata, but st.-lvs. only 

 once 5-parted or 5-cleft, with incised or toothed lobes: 

 fls. deep rose to white; calyx densely stellate-pubescent. 

 Eu.; cult, and escaped. B.M. 2297. Gn.W. 4:745. 

 (pink, veined deeper). Var. fastigiata, Koch (M. 

 fastigiata, Cav. M. Morenii, Pollini). Lvs. less incised; 

 upper st.-lvs. 3-fid; intermediate ones 5-fid; lobes ob- 

 long, unequally dentate. B.M. 2793. Gn. 75, p. 432. 



BBB. Fr. prominently wrinkled-veiny. 

 sylvestris, Linn. Biennial (perhaps sometimes annual 

 or perennial), 2-3 ft. high, rough-hairy, branching: 

 Ivs. rather sharply 5-7-lobed: fls. purple-rose, large; 

 petals 3 times length of calyx. Eu., Temp. Asia, way- 

 sides N. Amer. A.G. 13:471. Var. mauritiana, Mill. 

 (M. mauritiana, Linn.), has long been cult, in cottage 

 gardens abroad as the TREE MALLOW. It is taller, 

 smoother and has more obtuse lobes. Var. zebrina, 

 Hort. (M. zebrma, Hort.), has variable fls., usually 

 white striped with purple. 



AA. Fls. small and inconspicuous, whitish. 

 B. Lvs. not curled at the margins. 



rotundifdlia, Linn. Fig. 2310. COMMON MALLOW. 

 Sts. trailing from a strong, deep root: Ivs. rounded 

 kidney-shaped, crenate; If .-stalks very long: peduncles 

 rather slender. Common biennial or perennial weed, 

 not cult.: intro. from Eu. and now common in barn-, 

 yards and waste places. The flat wrinkled fruits are 

 known to children as "cheeses." Also locally called 

 "shirt-button plant." 



BB. Lvs. curled or puckered at the margin. 

 crispa, Linn. CURLED MALLOW. Fig. 2311. Un- 

 branched annual, 4-8 ft. high, leafy from base to top: 

 Ivs. rounded, 5-7-lobed or -angled, attractively crisped 

 and curled: fls. clustered, almost sessile. Eu.; sparingly 

 escaped from old gardens. Gn. 2, p. 315. The elegantly 

 crisped Ivs. are sometimes used for garnishing dishes. 

 Generally self -sows in gardens. It provides a stately 

 subject where stiff straight forms are desired; the sts. 

 sometimes attain a thickness of 3 in. at the base. 



M. campanulata, Paxt.=Malvastrum. M. capensis, Linn. 

 Malvastrum. M. cocdnea, Nutt.=Malvastrum. M. involucrata, 

 Torr. & Gray=Callirhoe. M. laterltia, Hook.=Malvastrum. 

 M. minidta, Cav.=Sphseralcea. M. Papaver, Cav.=Callirhoe. 

 M. peddta, Torr. & Gray=Callirhoe. M. umbellata, Cav.= 

 Sphieralcea. WlLHELM MlLLER. 



L. H. B.f 



MALVASTRUM (name made from 

 Malva). Malvaceae. FALSE MALLOW. 

 Mallow-like herbs grown with peren- 

 nials. 



From Malva and its allies it differs in 

 having short or capitate stigmas on the 

 style-branches rather than longitudinal 

 stigmas, and a single whorl of carpels. 

 From Malvaviscus it differs in having a 

 dry rather than a baccate fr., and in 

 other characters. Herbs 

 and undershrubs of 

 differing habit, some- 

 times low and diffuse 

 and sometimes tall : 

 Ivs. various, entire, cor- 

 date or lobed : fls. scar- 

 let, orange or yellow, 

 short- pedun- 

 cled or nearly 

 sessile, axillary 

 or in terminal 

 spikes; calyx- 

 like involucel 

 wanting or of 

 2 or 3 bracts; 

 calyx 5 - cleft ; 

 petals emargi- 

 nate or entire; 

 styles 5 or 

 more : carpels 

 few to many, 

 1-ovuled, near- 

 ly or quite in- 

 dehiscent and 

 2311. Malva crispa. (XK) falling away 



