Malvaceae

Malvastrum A.Gray

First published in Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n.s., 4: 21 (1849)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is New World.

Descriptions

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, sometimes subwoody, with pubescence of simple, branched and stellate hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves entire, serrate, lobed or cleft; linear stipules present
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary or in terminal clusters or spikes, stalked or sessile; epicalyx of 3 linear to lanceolate bracteoles about as long as the calyx, rarely lacking
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-lobed; petals 5, usually yellow or white
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary of 5–many carpels; ovules 1 in each cell; style-branches as many as the carpels; stigmas linear, club-shaped or capitate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Ripe carpels separating, somewhat bivalvate or else indehiscent; seeds reniform.
Distribution
A genus of 50 or more species, the majority in tropical America and a few in S. Africa.
[Cayman]

Malvaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit
Annual to perennial low suffrutices, erect to somewhat spreading.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves ovate, dentate or ± palmatilobed, petiolate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers yellow, axillary, solitary or in terminal racemes.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx
Epicalyx of 3 linear or subulate free bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx cupulate or saucer-shaped, foliaceous in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal tube antheriferous only at the apex; filaments filiform.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary of 10 free 1-ovulate carpels; style-branches 10, filiform; stigmas capitate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit discoid, of 10 reniform setose or strigose indehiscent 1-seeded mericarps ultimately separating from the columella.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds reniform; cotyledons folded; endosperm scanty.
[FZ]

Malvaceae, Bernard Verdcourt & Geoffrey Mwachala. Pavonia, B Verdcourt; Kosteletzkya, OJ Blanchard Jr.; Gossypium, P Fryxell & B Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs or subshrubs with usually stellate indumentum but less often also simple hairs and scales
Morphology Leaves
Leaves serrate, petiolate; stipules linear to triangular or lanceolate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary in leaf axils or in terminal raceme-like or spike-like inflorescences, pedicellate or subsessile
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx
Epicalyx of 3 linear to subcordate bracts
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx often strongly 5-angular; lobes united for 1/5–3/5 of their length
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals 5(–6), yellow to orange, obovate, usually emarginate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with 5–18 carpels in a single discoid whorl, each with a single ovule.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style with 5–18 branches from about the middle.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Stigma
Stigmas linear to subglobose
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a schizocarp; mericarps 5–18, free from each other, indehiscent or partly to completely dehiscent, narrowly wedgeshaped, very compressed laterally, glabrous to densely pubescent, with conspicuous proximal notch, lateral faces smooth to radially ribbed, unornamented or more usually with 1–3 mucros or cusps.
[FTEA]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2026. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0