Malva nicaeensis All.
French mallow
Annual or short-lived perennial, procumbent, ascending or erect herb. Stems sparsely to moderately hairy with usually simple hairs. Lvs glabrous to sparsely hairy with usually simple hairs and rarely stellate hairs above, sparsely to moderately hairy below, reniform to orbicular, obtuse to cordate at base, shallowly or moderately 5-7-palmately lobed and crenate, 1-10-(15) cm diam.; petioles 1-20-(30) cm long; stipules broadly ovate with acute apex, 2-8 mm long. Fls in axillary clusters of (1)-2-6; fruiting pedicels 2-10-(15) mm long; epicalyx segments narrowly ovate-oblong to broadly ovate, ± = calyx at flowering; calyx teeth broadly ovate-triangular, sparsely hairy with simple or stellate hairs and ciliate on teeth but lower tube ± glabrous, slightly enlarged at fruiting; petals pale lilac or pink with darker veins and tips, about 2× length of calyx, 6-10 mm long. Mericarps 8-9-(10) per fr., often hairy when immature but usually becoming glabrous, strongly reticulately veined on back; edges sharply angled but not winged.
N.: throughout; S.: Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, N. Otago.
Mediterranean to W. Asia 1957
Waste places, coastal habitats.
FL Aug-May.
Although not recorded as naturalised in N.Z. until 1957, M. nicaeensis has been present much longer but was confused with other Malva spp. N.Z. material has petals < the 10-12 mm given in European Floras, possibly indicating that plants have come from the E. part of the sp. range. M. nicaeensis is distinguished from small forms of M. sylvestris by the glabrous base of the calyx tube, from M. neglecta by the strongly reticulately veined mericarps, and from M. parviflora by the squared edges of the mericarps (Fig. 84) and longer petals.
