Malva

Common Mallow ( Malva sylvestris)

The mallow ( Malva ) are a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family ( Malvaceae ). It is distributed in Eurasia and North Africa.

  • 6.1 Notes and references

Description

Appearance and leaves

Mallow species grow as ascending or erect, one to perennial or short-lived perennial herbaceous plants. The alternate arranged on the stems leaves are stalked. The leaf blades are palmately lobed or occasionally cut deep. The permanent side leaves are sessile and usually ciliate.

Flowers

The flowers are either singly or in clusters in the leaf axils. The three most non- adult bracts of the shell, which are also often interpreted as an outer calyx, vary in shape from linear to ovate. The hermaphrodite flowers are radial symmetry and fünfzählig. The five sepals are fused cup-shaped, often enlarge to fruit maturity and then stand on the axis. The five petals are usually purple, sometimes white, pink or red. At their head they are notched or indented.

As with all representatives of the subfamily Malvoideae the many stamens with their anthers into a tube surrounding the stamp, the so-called Columna, fused, each headed by spring the dust bag. The anthers are equipped only with a theca. The Upper constant ovary has nine to fifteen subjects. Each compartment contains an ovule. The stylus is branched into so many branches, such as the ovary has compartments. The scars are directed towards the flowers the center.

From the violet blooming mallow ( Malva sylvestris) isolated Richard Willstätter 1915 for the first time the anthocyanin pigment malvidin as dimethyl ether of delphinidin.

Fruit and seeds

The flattened at the poles schizocarp consists of nine to fifteen part fruits, and does not open. The partial fruits have shaped side edges, but no thorns. Each part of the fruit contains one seed, which adheres to the walls of the fruit part.

Occurrence

The paläoarktische genus Malva in traditional scope is widespread in Eurasia and North Africa; some earlier asked to Lavatera and Malva species are now native to North America and Australia. Many species thrive in disturbed habitats.

System

The genus Malva was erected in 1753 by Carl Linnaeus in Species Plantarum. As lectotype was established in 1913 by Britton and Brown Malva sylvestris L.. Synonyms for Malva L. are Axolopha ( DC.) Alef. and Dinacrusa G.Krebs. The genus Malva belongs to the tribe Malveae in the subfamily Malvoideae within the family Malvaceae.

The genus Malva is part of a complex of several closely related genera ( Malva, Lavatera, Malope, Kitaibelia, Alcea and Althaea ), which are difficult to be distinguished. Molecular genetic studies showed that the genera are mutually paraphyletic. It remains unclear how a new division of the complex may look like, would be considered a subdivision into two ( Malva and Malope ) or in four or more species. The number of species can therefore neither to specify how the traditional division of the genus into sections. A tendency to a broader genus Malva is but present.

There are about 15 to 30 Malva species:

  • Malva acerifolia ( Cav. ) Alef. (Syn. Malva canariensis MFRay, Lavatera acerifolia Cav. )
  • Malva L. aegyptia
  • Rose Mallow ( Malva alcea L.)
  • Malva arborea (L.) Webb & Berthel. ( Syn: Lavatera arborea L., Malva eriocalyx ( Steudel ) Molero & JMMonts, Malva dendromorpha MFRay. )
  • Malva assurgentiflora ( Kellogg ) MFRay (syn. Lavatera assurgentiflora Kellogg )
  • Malva australiana MFRay (syn. Lavatera plebeia Sims )
  • Malva borealis Wallman
  • Malva cretica Cav.
  • Malva durieui Spach ( Syn: Lavatera mauritanica Durieu )
  • Malva erecta J.Presl & C.Presl
  • Malva hispanica L.
  • Malva iljinii Riedl
  • Malva lindsayi ( Moran ) MFRay ( Syn: Lavatera lindsayi Moran )
  • Malva microphylla ( Baker f ) Molero & J. M. Monts. ( Syn: Lavatera microphylla Baker f, Malva bakeri Molero & JMMonts nom illeg. .. )
  • Musk Mallow ( Malva moschata L.)
  • Way Mallow ( Malva neglecta Wallr. )
  • Malva nicaeensis All.
  • Malva occidentalis ( S.Watson ) MFRay ( Syn: Lavatera occidentalis S.Watson )
  • Malva pacifica MFRay ( Syn: Lavatera venosa S.Watson )
  • Malva parviflora L.
  • Malva multiflora ( Cav. ) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso ( syn.. Lavatera cretica L., Malva pseudolavatera Webb & Berthel Malva linnaei MFRay )
  • Small-flowered mallow ( Malva pusilla Sm )
  • Malva stipulacea Cav.
  • Malva subovata ( A.DC. ) Molero & J.M.Monts. ( Syn: Lavatera maritima Gouan, Malva wigandii ( Alef. ) MFRay )
  • Common Mallow ( Malva sylvestris L.): It is used as a vegetable and medicinal plant. Contains malvidin.
  • Malva thuringiaca (L.) Vis. ( Syn: Lavatera thuringiaca L.)
  • Malva L. tournefortiana
  • Malva trimestris (L.) Salisb. ( Syn: Lavatera trimestris L.)
  • Whorl Mallow ( Malva verticillata L.)
  • Malva Vidali (Pau) Molero & J.M.Monts. ( Syn: Lavatera Vidali Pau)

Use

Some mallow species are used because of their aroma in the industry especially for cosmetics or used as Malvenblütentee. Varieties of some mallow species are used as ornamental plants.

Column (botany) Ovary (botany) Stigma (botany) Flavor Agricultural Research Service
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