Malva parviflora L.
small-flowered mallow
Annual, procumbent to erect herb. Stems sparsely to moderately hairy with mostly stellate hairs. Lvs sparsely to densely clothed in mostly stellate hairs above, moderately clothed in mostly stellate hairs below, reniform to orbicular, cordate, shallowly or moderately 5-7-palmately lobed and crenate, 1-8 cm diam.; petioles 1.5-10 cm long; stipules ovate-triangular, 2-6 mm long. Fls in axillary clusters of (1)-2-5; fruiting pedicels 2-10-(20) mm long; epicalyx segments linear, somewhat < calyx; calyx teeth ± orbicular with acute apex, glabrous or sparsely clothed in stellate hairs and ciliate, greatly enlarged and spreading at fruiting; petals white, pale mauve or pink towards tips, ± = or only slightly > calyx, 3-5 mm long. Mericarps (9)-10-(11) per fr., glabrous or hairy, strongly reticulately veined on back; edges slightly winged and sometimes toothed.
N.: throughout; S.: throughout except Westland and Fiordland; K.
S.W. Europe, Mediterranean to W. Asia 1883
Waste land, cultivated land, coastal habitats, river beds.
FL Sep-Apr.
Poisonous (Connor 1977).
M. parviflora is distinguished from M. neglecta by shorter petals, enlarged fruiting calyx, and reticulately veined mericarps with winged edges (Fig. 84).
