Citation: Don, Gen. Hist. 1:466 (1831).

Synonymy: Malva caroliniana L., Sp. Pl. 688 (1753); Modiola multifida Moench, Meth. 620 (1794).

Common name: Red-flowered mallow, Carolina mallow.

Description:
Stems prostrate or ascending, rooting at the nodes, usually under 25 cm high, sometimes with underground rhizomes; leaves long-petiolate, suborbicular to ovate, palmately divided into 5-7 segments sometimes almost to the centre, the segments often secondarily lobed.

Peduncles 5-25 mm long in fruit; epicalyx segments lanceolate to elliptic, 3-5 mm long, slightly shorter than the sepals; calyx long-hairy; petals a little longer than the sepals, 4-6 mm long, orange or brick-red to red; ovary villous above.

Fruit c. 8 mm across, villous above, separating into c. 20 fruitlets; fruitlets laterally flat, grooved and villous on their backs, glabrous and wrinkled below, with 2 superposed seeds.

	Modiola caroliniana leaf, styles and stamens, ovary, fruit and mericarp.
Image source: fig 439e in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 481.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: MU, SL, SE.   All States except N.T.   New Zealand; native to South America. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: mainly Nov. — March.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available