Malvaceae

Malva Tourn. ex L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 687 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Temp. & Subtropical Old World, SW. U.S.A. to NW. Mexico.

Descriptions

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; indument stellate
Morphology Leaves
Leaves unlobed to deeply palmately divided, often with angular or broadly rounded lobes; margins crenate; stipules triangular to falcate, ± persistent
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary in leaf axils or fasciculate; sometimes the clusters forming narrow interrupted panicles
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx
Epicalyx of 3 completely free bracts or adnate to calyx
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals usually pink to purple or white, often with dark veins, 5, free, mostly broadly obovate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens numerous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary with 8–15 carpels each with a single ascending ovule.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Styles the same number as the carpels
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a schizocarp; mericarps separating, indehiscent, smooth to variously sculptured, glabrous or hairy.
[FTEA]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Annual or perennial herbs, usually with stellate hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves entire to deeply lobed; stipules triangular to falcate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in axillary clusters
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx
Epicalyx bracts 3, linear to ovate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx 5-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary of 8–15 free 1-ovulate carpels arranged around a central column; style branches as many as carpels
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a discoid schizocarp; mericarps ± reniform, flattened, indehiscent, smooth or variously sculptured.
Distribution
Some 60 species in the Old World, mainly in temperate and subtropical regions.
[FSOM]

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

Morphology General Habit
Annuals or perennials, herbaceous to somewhat suffruticose, erect to decumbent or prostrate, nearly glabrous to more or less densely pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually suborbicular-reniform in outline, crenate to serrate or shallowly to rather deeply palmatilobed, usually long-petioled.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers axillary, usually clustered or fasciculate; pedicels often short to 0.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx
Epicalyx of 3 free or nearly free linear to ovate bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx cupular, 5-lobed; lobes deltoid, acute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals usually obcordate-cuneate, emarginate at the apex, often with darker-coloured veins converging towards the glabrous or ciliate claw.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal tube antheriferous at the apex only.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary of 9–15 free 1-ovulate carpels arranged around a central torus; style-branches as many as there are carpels, obliquely clavate; stigmas linear, decurrent on the inside of the style-branches.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit discoid, separating at maturity into suborbicular-reniform free indehiscent muticous mericarps; mericarps smooth or variously sculptured on the back, glabrous or pubescent.
[FZ]

Uses

Use
A number of species are widespread weeds, others are cultivated as ornamentals.
[FSOM]

Common Names

unknown
belen-belen

Sources

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora Zambesiaca

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

  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • 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

  • 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 2025. 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 2025. 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