M A L V A 
equal peduncles, half an inch long; corolla pale red, a 
little larger than the calyx ; petals eroarginate. It differs 
from M. rotundifolia in having the leaves acutely lobed, 
not cordate; in the colour and fize of the flower; and in 
the peduncles, which in rotundifolia are unequal, and 
fomet'ines leafy. In M. parviflora, befides the lame dif¬ 
ference of the leaves, the calyx is fpreading and finooth, 
the flowers conglomerate in the axils, not fcattered. Vahl 
doubts whether it be really different from M. parviflora, 
to which it is certainly very nearly allied. Found by Bel- 
lardi, in the county of Nice. 
21. Malva pufilla, or fmall mallow: ftem declining; 
leaves roundifli, heart-fhaped, flightly five-lobed ; flowers 
peduncled, generally in pairs; petals the length of the ca¬ 
lyx. Root annual, or perhaps biennial. Chiefly diftin- 
guWhable from M. rotundifolia, to which it is very nearly 
allied, in the petals fcarcely exceeding the calyx, and the 
flowers being never more than two in each axil. After 
all, it is doubtful whether it be permanently did inch from 
the next fpecies; and .indeed this with the two preceding 
ones require farther examination, before it be finally de¬ 
termined whether they are fpecies or only varieties. Hud- 
Ion took it for the parviflora of Linnaeus; but, being dif¬ 
ferent from that, which has the leaves very angular and 
fliarply ferrated, the flowers feflile or nearly fo, three or 
four together in axillary clutters, it was neceffary to give 
it another name. It was firlt found by Mr. James Sherard, 
in company with Mr. Rand, at Hithe in Kent; Mr. Hud- 
fon remarked it in the fame place; Dr. Withering fays, 
that his fpecimens were gathered in Pembrokeftiire. In 
Ray’s Synopfis it is obferved, that it differs from the other 
mallows in having the feeds wrinkled. 
22. Malva rotundifolia, round-leaved or dwarf mallow: 
ftem prottrate; leaves cordate-orbiculate, obfoletely five- 
lobed; fruiting peduncles declining. Root annual, whitiffi, 
ftrikingdeep. Stems feveral, branched, lying clofe to the 
ground, except the flowering branches, which afcend a 
little, not creeping or putting out roots from the joints, 
from nine or twelve inches to four feet long ; round, 
pubefcent, frequently tinged with purple on one fide. 
Leaves covered on both fides with a fine down, fomewhat 
rugged, roundifh kidney-form or almoft orbicular, cor¬ 
date or hollowed at the bafe, the furface waved or railed 
a little at the angles between the lobes; and, when the 
leaves, efpecially the larger, are laid flat, fo as to prefs 
out thefe wavings, hardly any interval remains hetween 
the two edges at the bafe, fo that they then are almoft 
round, allowance being made for die lobes, which are 
very Ihallow, five or feven in number, rounded, ferrate or 
rather crenate on the edge, having five or feven ribs on 
She under fide, not flat, but concave upwards, or what 
Linnaeus calls cucullate, efpecially the younger ones; the 
largelt two inches and a half or three quarters acrofs, and 
an inch and a half from the petiole to the apex. Corolla 
white, with purple veins, and purple towards the top; 
Lightfoot fays, white, ftreaked with red veins; Curtis, 
white, ftriped with reddilh veins ; Withering, purplifh 
rofe red, fometimes paler. Linnaeus fays, that about Up- 
fal it is entirely white. Native of molt parts of Europe, 
on dry banks, by way-fides, under walls and other fences; 
flowering from June to September. 
23. Malva Sherardiana, or Bithynian mallow : Items 
proltrate; leaves orbicular, plaited, tomentofe, crenate ; 
peduncles folitary, one-flowered, bowed. Native of Bi- 
thynia. Perennial. 
24. Malva fylveftris, or common mallow : ftem upright, 
herbaceous; leaves five-lobed, acute 5 peduncles and pe¬ 
tioles hairy. Root perennial, (biennial according to Lome, 
annual according to others,) whitiffi, the thicknefs of a 
finger, ftriking deep, thinly furniffied with large fibres, 
not creeping, fweetilh, and vifcid. Stem .more or lefs 
upright, according to circumltances; in hedges drawing 
up to the height of feveral feet, but by foot-paths and 
.among rubbilh in a manner proftrate; from one to three 
feet in length or more, round, inclined to be woody, hairy, 
Vot. XIV. No. 969. 
m<) 
branched. Leaves five-lobed, (rarely fix or feven,) hairy 
on both fides, or only underneath, the furface waved and 
concave upwards, efpecially the younger ones, having a 
dark purple (lain at the infertion of the petiole; root-leaves 
five or fix inches in diameter, on petioles eighteen inches 
long; ftem-leaves three or four inches in diameter, darker 
green, and more deeply lobed, than in M. rotundifolia. 
Common in molt parts of Europe, by hedges, roads, and 
in wafte places, flowering from June to September. Its 
trivial nam e, JylveJlris, (fays Withering,) ill accords with 
its ufual places of growth in this country ; for, though fo 
common in the midland parts of England, I do not recol- 
lefl ever having found it in a wood. In the north of Eng¬ 
land it is called mavis ; in French, mauve, la grande mauve-, 
in German, die wilde waive 5 in Daniffi,, den Jlore katojl ; in 
Ruffian, projkurat. 
Cattle do not appear to be fond of it. Every part of 
the plant, particularly the root, abounds with a mild mu¬ 
cilage. The root boiled is much ufed as an emollient 
cataplafm ; and an infufion of it is generally prefcribed in 
all cafes where mild mucilaginous fubltances are ufeful ; 
as in diforders of the urinary paffages, and in coughs, 
hoarfeneffes, &c. The ufe of it, however, has been much 
fuperfeded by the Althaea, or marlhmallow, which pofleffes 
its valuable qualities in a fuperior degree. The leaves 
alfo are not unfrequently ufed in fomentations and clvf- 
ters. Woodville fays, the roots of Malva are ufelefs, 
whilft thofe of Althaea are of more efficacy than any other 
part of the plant. It is well known that Malva was 3n 
efculent vegetable among the Romans. Haller, however, 
fays it was not this, but one allied to it, named M. rotun¬ 
difolia italica, flore amplo, by Tournefort. Profper Alpi- 
nus informs us, that a tree of the mallow kind is eaten by 
the Egyptians; and the Chinefe ufe fome fort of mallow 
in their food. 
25. Malva orientals, or oriental mallow: ftem upright, 
herbaceous ; leaves lobed, blunt, crenate. This is an an¬ 
nual plant, with an upright ftalk. The flowers are larger 
than thofe of the common fort, and are of a foft red co¬ 
lour. Mr. Profeffor Martyn fays, “ I have a ftalk now 
before me above fix feet in height. The petioles of the 
leaves are not fo long, nor fo hairy, as in the common 
mallow. The leaves and the whole plant are fmoother. 
The flowers are not purple, but dark red, with the veins 
fo dark as to be almoft black. The inner calyx is not fo 
deeply divided, and does not fold over the fruit, which 
con fills of fewer capfules. The uprightnefs of the plant, 
with the colour of the flowers, immediately diftinguiffi this 
from the common mallow, which in many refpe&s it much 
refembles. It was difcovered by Tournefort in the Le¬ 
vant; and cultivated by Miller in 1759.” 
26. Malva Mauritiana, or ivy-leaved mallow: ftem up¬ 
right, herbaceous; leaves five-lobed., blunt; peduncles 
and petioles fmoothiffi. This alfo refembles the common 
mallow.; but this has five ribs to the leaf, that has feven - 
this has the outer calyx lanceolate, that ovate; this lias 
the corolla more blood-red, in that it is bluifli purple. 
It is annual, and native of the fouth of Europe. Introl 
duced in 1768, by John earl of Bute ; it flowers in June 
and July. 
27. Malva fragrans, or fweet mallow: ftem upright 
frutefcent; leaves roundifh-cordate, half-five-lobed. Stem 
Itraight, fix feet high ; branches axillary ; leaves cordate 
at the bafe, about five-lobed, the middle one fometimes 
longer than the reft; flowers Angle, axillary, with' long 
peduncles; corolla an inch in diameter, purple; the co¬ 
lumn of the ftamens is marked at its bafe betwixt each 
of the petals with a blood-red fpeck. The whole plant 
breathes a flrong aromatic fmell. Native place uncertain. 
28. Malva Hilpanica, orSpaniffi mallow : ftem upright* 
leaves femiorbiculate, crenate; outer calyx two-leavprf’ 
Native of Spain. * 
29. Malva verticillata, or whorl-flowered mallow : ftem 
upright; leaves angular; flowers axillary, glomerate, fef- 
file ;<*alyxes rugged. Root annual, three feet high. Flow- 
