MALVACEAE. 



VOL. II. 



i. Althaea officinalis L. Marsh-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'-i' long; 

 flowers in terminal and axillary narrow racemes, 

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

 cels 6-9, linear, shorter than the 5 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 s-parted 

 leaves, has been found in waste places at Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 



Althaea rosea L., the Hollyhock, 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 

 terminal 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 number, linear, stigmatic 

 along the inner side. Carpels arranged in a circle, i -seeded, beakless, indehiscent. Seed 

 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. i. M. sylvestris. 



Petals 1-2 times the length of the calyx. 



Procumbent, low. 2. M. rotundifolia, 



Erect, tall. 3- M. verticillata. 



Leaves deeply s-7-lobed. 



. Stem-leaves deeply lobed ; carpels glabrous. 4- M. moschata. 



Stem-leaves i-3-pinnatifid ; carpels downy. _5. M. Alcea. 



i. Malva sylvestris L. High Mallow. 

 Fig. 2848. 



Malva sylvestris L. Sp. PI. 689. 1753. 



Biennial, erect or ascending, branched, pubescent with 

 loose spreading hairs, or glabrate. Leaves orbicular, or 

 reniform, \\'-^ wide, with 5-9 shallow angular or 

 rounded lobes, cremate-denate, truncate or cordate at 

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

 2-4 times as long as the calyx ; carpels about 10, flat 

 l'-ii' broad, in axillary clusters ; pedicels slender ; petals 

 on the back, rugose-reticulate. 



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 mallow, cheese-flower, cheese-cake, 

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



