Malva pusilla Sm.
small mallow
Malvaceae (Mallow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
small mallow
Malvaceae (Mallow family)
Introduction to Vascular Plants
Introduction
Name change 2015: Malva rotundifolia to Malva pusilla
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Species Information
General:
Annual or biennial herb from a taproot; stems prostrate to spreading, branched, 20-60 cm long, with simple hairs.
Leaves:
Basal leaves lacking; stem leaves alternate, blades heart- to kidney-shaped, 2-5 cm long, toothed, shallowly 5-to 7-lobed, with stalks up to twice as long as the blades.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of many flowers in axillary clusters or subterminal panicles, with or without long stalks; petals 5, white or pale purple, 4-5 mm long, claws fringed or bearded; calyces green and barely enlarged in fruit, about equal to the petals, lobed, the bractlets linear, fringed.
Fruits:
Carpels, numerous in flat disks, flattened, strongly wrinkled on the back, pointed angles without wings; seeds 1.
Illustration
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat and Range
Mesic to dry roadsides and waste places in the lowland and montane zones; rare in S BC; introduced from Europe.Status Information
Synonyms
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Malva rotundifolia L.