Malvaceae
Herbs, shrubs or trees, with mucilaginous juice, often with stellate hairs. Lvs alternate, usually simple, entire or palmately lobed, divided or toothed, stipulate. Fls usually ⚥, rarely unisexual, regular, in axillary or terminal fascicles, cymes, spikes, racemes, or panicles, or axillary and solitary. Calyx usually 5-, rarely 3-merous, variously united, sometimes subtended by a whorl of free or united bracts (epicalyx). Petals 5, free. Stamens numerous; filaments united into a staminal column; anthers 1-locular by division. Ovary (1)-2-many-, often 5-locular; style branches as many as or twice ovules; ovules 1 or more per loculus, erect or pendulous. Fr. usually dry (rarely fleshy), capsular or schizocarpic, dehiscent or not, and separating or remaining attached to axis.
Key
c. 88 genera, 2000 spp., widespread in tropical, subtropical and temperate regions, especially S. America.
The most important sp. economically is Gossypium herbaceum L., the source of cotton; this is not grown in N.Z. but many ornamental spp. of Malvaceae are cultivated.
