General:
Perennial herb from a taproot; stems ascending, branched, 30-60 cm tall, with sparse, simple hairs.
Leaves:
Basal leaves heart-shaped to kidney-shaped, rounded in outline, 6-8 cm long, toothed to shallowly lobed, hairy; stem leaves, rounded in outline, 4-8 cm long, at least the upper ones 5-lobed to the base and then dissected into linear segments; stipules 4-7 mm long.
Flowers:
Inflorescence of few to many flowers in axillary clusters or subterminal panicles; petals 5, white to deep pink, 2-3 cm long; calyces 3-4 mm long; bractlets linear.
Fruits:
Carpels, numerous in flat disks, rounded, densely hairy on the back; seeds 1.
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
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Malva moschata var. rosea hort.
KEY TO MALVACEAE
1. Stigmas extending full length on the inner surfaces of the style branches.
2. Calyces with basal bractlets; carpels beakless ....................Malva 1. Stigmas terminal and head-like.
3. Leaves heart-shaped and toothed; petals yellow...............Abutilon
4. Petals usually more than 2 cm long; leaves 4-15 cm long; carpels glabrous on the sides, opening the full length at maturity.........................Iliamna KEY TO MALVA
1. Upper stem leaves dissected into linear segments; petals 2-3 cm long .................... M. moschata
2. Petals 1.5-2.5 cm long; calyx bracteoles egg-shaped or oblong ......................... M. sylvestris
3. Carpels rounded and glabrous (except for the short hairs) on the backs; petals 2-4 times as long as the calyces ....................M. neglecta
4. Petal claws glabrous; carpels with narrowly winged, minutely toothed angles; calyces papery and greatly enlarged in fruit........... M. parviflora Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia |