THE MUSK MALLOW— continued. 
It is, however, somewhat difficult to explain the special characters of the 
beautiful Musk Mallow ( Malva moschala Linne). Its pale green erect stems rise erect 
and but seldom branched to a height of one or two feet in gravelly places and have 
spreading hairs and are often spotted with red. The leaves are deeply palmately 
5-7-lobed, the lobes themselves being pinnatifid ; but so variable is the extent of 
the lobing that several varieties have been named which differ only in this respect. 
It is interesting to note that even the cotyledons are slightly trilobed. Though the 
late Lord Avebury explained this on purely mechanical grounds as the result of the 
folding and packing of ovate cotyledons within a rounded seed, it might equally 
be considered as an example of anticipatory inheritance. Stem and leaves give off 
a musky perfume, especially in hot weather, or when drawn through the hand. 
This may serve as a protection against browsing animals ; and possibly the cut 
leaves, though securing a considerable surface for gaseous exchanges with the 
atmosphere, may also serve as such a defence. 
The calyx is very conspicuous owing to its very pale green colour, a pretty 
contrast with the greener stems, the darker foliage, and the rosy corolla. It is 
coarsely hairy or bristly, a good protection against crawling insects. Though the 
corolla is of one uniform colour, with hardly any trace of honey-guides, its large 
size — often two inches across — makes it conspicuous by day and the pale tint 
remains visible late into the summer night. A beautiful white variety, retaining the 
rose-coloured anthers of the ordinary form, is common in gardens and occurs 
occasionally in a wild state. In insect-visitors and pollination-mechanism this 
species seems to agree closely with M. sylvestris. 
The carpels have not got the reticulate surface of those of the Common 
Mallow, though they are transversely wrinkled and densely covered down their 
rounded backs with long silky hairs. This would seem to be a protective character. 
This handsome plant can be readily cultivated and is well worth growing both 
for its foliage and its flowers, the rose-coloured and white varieties looking well 
together. It flourishes in ordinary good garden loam, which is much richer than 
the soil in which it occurs wild, but should have good drainage. It seeds freely and 
the seeds can be sown in the open border in April or May, or in a cold frame 
during the autumn. In the latter case the seedlings should be protected from 
winter frosts. Cuttings may also be struck during the summer and require similar 
protection. 
