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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Malvaceae
Malva parviflora

Citation: L., Demonstr. Pl. 18 (1753).

Synonymy: M. verticillata sensu J. Black, Fl. S. Aust. 555 (1952), auct. non L.; M. pusilia sensu H. Eichler, Suppl. 221 (1965), auct. non Smith. , Malva pusilla, Malva rotundifolia

Common name: Small-flowered) marshmallow.

Description:
Erect to prostrate annual or perennial herb, with main branches to c. 150 cm long but usually less than 50 cm, obscurely sparsely puberulent; leaves orbicular, 0.6-9 cm long, cordate, with 5-7 rounded lobes, dentate-crenate, on long slender petioles.

Epicalyx segments linear to narrow-linear, c. 5-15 times longer than broad, attached near the base of the calyx; calyx c. 3-4 mm long, covered by spreading stellate hairs with 4-7 arms, each arm 0.05-0.3 rarely 0.8 mm long, the calyx lobes triangular, acuminate; corolla pink or almost white, 3-5 mm long.

Schizocarp 5.5-8 mm diam., transversely rugose, pubescent, surrounded by a spreading much-enlarged scarious calyx, the mericarps 9-11 rarely 12, narrowly and partially separating from each other in the mature fruit, with angles on the dorsal surface narrowly winged, more or less dentate or undulate.

image of FSA2_Malvastrum_ame.jpg Malva parviflora ovary, styles, enlarged style, fruit and mericarp.
Image source: fig 439b 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. 482.

Distribution:  Waste places, disturbed areas and as a garden weed.

S.Aust.: NW, LE, NU, GT, FR, EA, EP, NL, MU, YP, SL, KI, SE.   all States.   native to the Mediterranean and south-western Europe.

Conservation status: naturalised

Flowering time: April — Dec.


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


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