Malva moschata. Musk Mallow, 
MALVA Lin. Gen. PI. Monadelphia Polyandria. 
Cal. duplex : exterior triphyllus. Arilli plurimi, mOnofpermi. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 15. Herbie semine nudo polyspermaj. 
MALVA mofchata caule eredto, foliis radicalibus reniformibus incilis; caulinis quinquepartitis pinnato- 
multifidis. Lin. Syfi. Vegetab. p. 523. Spec. Pi. p. 971. FI. Suec. n. 629. 
MALVA foliis radicalibus reniformibus, iiicifis, caulinis quinquepartitis pinnatis, pinnis dentatisi 
Haller. FUJI. n. 1072. 
MALVA Mofchata. Scopdii FI. Carn. n. 861. 
MALVA montana live Alcea rotundifolia laciniata; Coi. Ecphr. i. p. 148. t. 147. 
ALCE A folio rotundo laciniato. Bauh. Pin. 316. 
ALCEA tenuifolia crifpa. I. B. II. App. 1667. Raii Syn. p. 253. Hudfon. FI. Angi. ed. 21 p. 3081 
Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 376. 
RADIX perennis, albida, fublignofa, difficillime eruta. 
CAULIS: ex una radice caules nafcuntur plurimi, bipe- 
dales, lubere&i, ramofi, teretes, fiflulofi, hir- 
futi, pun£Us purpureis prominulis adlperfi, e 
quibus pili prodeunti 
FOLIA alterna, petiolata, inferiora plerumque fex par- 
tita, laciniis pinnatifidis, multifido-laciniatis, 
liirfutulis, apice fubacutis, luperiora brevius 
petiolata, in pauciores et tenuiores lacinias 
divifa. 
[ ROOT perennial* * whitilh, fomewhat woody, and with 
difficulty pulled upi 
• STALK : from one root arife fevefal Halks, about two 
feet high, nearly upright, branched, round, 
hollow, hirfute, fprinkled with purple pro- 
minent points, from which the hairs iliue. 
■ LEAVES alternate* Handing on foot-ffalks, the lower 
ones generally deeply divided into fix fegments* 
Which are pinnatifid and fub-divided into many 
others* flightly hirfute, and pointed at the 
tips, the upper ones Handing on fhorter foot- 
Halks* and divided into fewer and narrower 
fegments. 
STIPULAE utrinque bins, ere&as, lanceolate*, hirfut®, ■■ STIPULAE two on each fide, upright, lanceolate, hir- 
marginte undulata;. ;; fute, waved on the edge. 
FLORES magni, fpeciofi, carnei. | FLOWERS large, ffiowy, and fleffi-coloured. 
PEDUNCULI unciales, teretes, pilofii I FLOWER-STALKS an inch in length, round and 
I hairy. 
CALYX: PeriAnthium duplex, inferiils triphyllum, | CALYX: a double Perianthium, the lowermoH com- 
foliolis lanceolatis, fuperius quinquefidum, | poled of three lanceolate leaves, the upper- 
ovato-acutum, faspe laciniatum, pundtatum, ? moH divided into five fegments, ovate and 
hirfutum, margine fetrato glanduiolutm fig. i.| pointed, often jagged, dotted, hirfute, the 
f . edge ferrated with fmall glands, fig. 1. 
COROLLA: Petala quinque, fubtriangularia, carnea, t COROLLA: five Petals, fomewhat triangular, flelh- 
veuis faturatioribus ramofis notata, apice fub- 1 ’ ' ’ ’ • 
truncata, erola, ball albida, margine utrinque t 
ciliata, fig . 2. | 
coloured, marked with branched veins of 
deeper colour, fomewhat truncated with a 
piece bit out at fop, at bottom whitilh, with 
. t the ed g e fringed on each fide with hairs, fig. 2 ; 
STAMINA : Filamenta plurima, in tubum cylindra- | STAMINA : Filaments numerous, forming a whitilh 
ceum, albidum, pilofum coalita, fuperne li- f hairy cylindrical tube* loofe at top, and bend- 
bera, reflexa. Anth.eras primUm reniformes, | ing back. AntHeraj at firH kidney- Ih aped 
carneie, dein purpurea;, demum casruleicentes. | and flelh-coloured, then purple, and laflly 
Pollen album, globolum.^. 3. . | blueilh. Pollen white and globular, fig. ?. 
PISTILLUM: Germina plurima, in orbem dilpofita, | PISTILLUM : GERMiNAnumerous, circularly difpoitd, 
flavefcentia ; Styli plurimi, ruberrimi, fili- * of a yellowiffi colour. Styles numerous of 
formes, ad unum latus pilofi, polline plerum- | a bright red colour, th read -Ih aped, hairy* oil 
que obdudi. Stigmata fimplicia. fig. 5. $ one fide, and generally covered with pollen. 
* Stigmata Ample. fig. 5. 
The plant here figured has been, and is Hill, confidered by moH Englilh Botanifls as the Vervain Mallow .* there 
is little doubt but it is the plant which Ray confidered as the Alcea vulgaris major of C. Bauhine, in which idea 
he was moH probably miHaken, as it accords better with the Alcea rotundifolia laciniata of that author. Be this 
as it may, it certainly is not the Malva Alcea of Linnjeus, which Mr. Hudson makes a native of this country 
and which, he fays, grows wild in IVarunckJhire, Leicefierjhire , 'and Nottinghamjhire. J * 
At the fame time that Linn as us has very properly made two diffindi fpecies of thefe plants, he has been rather 
unfortunate in the parts he has feleded for their difcrimination. 
■ Taking for granted that Mr. Hudson has good authority for what he afferts (although the counties he fpecifies are 
not particularly mentioned by Ray) it appears, that the Mofchata is a general, the Alcea a local plant • the 
former I have found in moH of the counties I have vifited, and Mr. Lightfoot mentions it as growing m 
bcotland ; the latter I have never feen wild, but have occafionally obferved it in fome of the gardens about London • 
and laff year, having an opportunity of cultivating it in my own, I was agreeably furprized, to find that it afforded 
many obvious and fatisfadory diflindions, the moH Hriking of which 1 (hall enumerate, for the gratification of 
the Engluh Botanifi, ® 
The Maha Alcea grew to nearly twice the height of the Mofchata, whence it agrees with Baohime’s name of 
major. It was m every refpeft a ftronger plant, and hardier to the touch; the leaves of the flalk were much lef- 
jagged ; the flowers in both were pretty fimilar, both in fhape, fize, and colour ; but the ealvees differed 
remarkably. In the Mcfchata the lowermoft let of leaves were lanceolate, fometimes almoft linear- in the 
Alcea they were ovate; added to this, the calyx of the Alcea, near its bafe, had a large protuberant annulus 
or ring, which. was entirely wanting in the Mofchata. Thefe changers of the calyx alone will, it is prefumed 
ever be found fuffiaent to diftinguifh the two plants when in flower ; befides thefe, the Mofchata drawn thrash 
the hand has the peculiar property of communicating a ftrong fmell of mufk, whence its name. S 
From this relation thofe Botanifls, relident in the counties above mentioned, will be better enabled to i„d„ 
whether they have the true Malva Alcea or not. J ua g® 
The Mofchata grows very plentifully in the neighbourhood of Coomb Wood , and flowers in June and Julv 
No particular virtues or ufes are attributed to this fpecies ; but its beauty entitles it to a place i 11 the warden 
Bees refort much to it. r 
