Malva sylvestris L.
large-flowered mallow
Perennial, ascending to erect herb. Stems glabrous to densely hairy with simple and stellate hairs. Lvs ± glabrous to densely hairy, reniform to suborbicular, obtuse to cordate at base, shallowly or moderately 3-5-(7)-palmately lobed and crenate, 1-15-(20) cm diam.; petioles 1-15-(30) cm long; stipules narrowly to broadly ovate with acute apex, 3-10 mm long. Fls 2-10 in axillary clusters or irregular racemes; fruiting pedicels 10-45 mm long; epicalyx segments narrow-oblong to elliptic-ovate, somewhat < calyx; calyx teeth broadly ovate with acute apex, sparsely to densely hairy with stellate or simple hairs and ciliate, not enlarged at fruiting; petals from deep pink to reddish or bluish purple with darker markings, 2-5× as long as calyx, 12-30 mm long. Mericarps 8-12-(15) per fr., usually glabrous, strongly reticulately veined on back; edges sharply angled but not winged.
N.: throughout except Taranaki; S.: Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago; Ch.
Europe, N. Africa, S.W. Asia 1870
Waste places, cultivated land, pasture, common.
FL Nov-Apr.
M. sylvestris is very similar to Lavatera cretica but is distinguished by the square-edged, reticulately veined mericarps (which are similar to those of M. nicaeensis illustrated in Fig. 84), the acute calyx teeth and narrower epicalyx segments (Fig. 83). The epicalyx of M. sylvestris may be somewhat united at the base although in most Malva spp. the segments are free.
The large-flowered mallow is very variable in size, particularly of the fls, and petals may vary in colour from pale pink through to a deep bluish purple. Small-flowered plants appear similar to M. nicaeensis but are distinguished by the slightly longer petals, longer fruiting pedicels, and the presence of hairs at the base of the calyx tube.
