Malva moschata

Linnaeus

Sp. Pl. 2: 690. 1753.

Common names: Musk-mallow mauve musquée
IntroducedWeedy
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 289. Mentioned on page 286, 288.

Herbs, perennial, 0.3–1.3 m, hairs usually spreading, simple, sometimes stellate-hairy distally. Stems erect to ascending, sparsely hirsute proximally, stellate-hairy distally. Leaves: stipules persistent, linear to narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 3–8 × 2–3 mm; petioles of proximal leaf-blades 3 times as long as blade, reduced to 1/2 blade length distally, midstem petioles 2 times as long as blade, hairs simple; distal blades usually round to reniform, deeply 5–7-lobed, lobes acutely 2-pinnatifid, 2–6 × 5–6 cm, base deeply cordate, margins irregularly toothed, apex rounded, obtuse, or acute, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy, hairs simple or stellate. Inflorescences axillary, flowers solitary or in fascicles, often appearing short-racemose or subumbellate terminally, long-stalked. Pedicels (0.5–) 0.8–2.5 cm, to 10–35 cm in fruit, hairs simple; involucellar bractlets distinct, not adnate to calyx, linear to narrowly oblanceolate or elliptic, 5 × 1–1.5 mm, to 7–8 mm in fruit, length 1/2 calyx, margins entire, surfaces glabrous or sparsely hirsute and long-ciliate. Flowers: calyx reticulate-veined, 6–8 mm, to 15 mm in fruit, outer surface hairy, hairs both simple and stellate; petals bright pink to pale-purple or white, 20–35 mm, length 2.5–3 times calyx; staminal column 7–8 (–10) mm, glabrate; style 11–15-branched; stigmas 11–15. Schizocarps 9–11 mm diam.; mericarps 11–15, black, 1.5–2 mm, apical face and margins rounded, sides thin and papery, smooth, surfaces densely hirsute at least apically. Seeds 1.2–1.5 mm. 2n = 42.


Phenology: Flowering May–Oct.
Habitat: Disturbed areas, roadsides
Elevation: 0–1300 m

Distribution

V6 526-distribution-map.jpg

Introduced; B.C., Man., N.B., Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.), N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Conn., Del., D.C., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Ky., Maine, Md., Mass., Mich., Mo., Mont., N.H., N.J., N.Y., N.C., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., R.I., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., Europe, sw Asia (Turkey), n Africa, also in South America (Chile), Australia

Discussion

Malva moschata is native from Spain to the British Isles, Poland, southern Russia, and Turkey. It has become naturalized in North America, especially in temperate northern and coastal areas. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental and frequently escapes. It occasionally hybridizes with M. sylvestris (Malva ×inodora Ponert) and M. alcea (Malva ×intermedia Boreau). It is similar to M. alcea, from which it can be distinguished by its narrower involucellar bractlets and densely hirsute mericarps.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broad" is not a number."entire" is not a number."timesaslongasblade" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."thin" is not a number.

... more about "Malva moschata"
indehiscent +
acute;obtuse;acute;obtuse;rounded +
Steven R. Hill +
Linnaeus +
cordate +
asymmetric +  and symmetric +
divided +, 3-7(-9)-lobed +, unlobed +, reniform +  and orbiculate +
7mm +  and 8mm +
not adnate +  and distinct +
hairy +  and glabrous +
linear +  and narrowly oblanceolate or elliptic +
reticulate-veined +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
Musk-mallow +  and mauve musquée +
5-7-lobed;usually round;reniform +
B.C. +, Man. +, N.B. +, Nfld. and Labr. (Nfld.) +, N.S. +, Ont. +, P.E.I. +, Que. +, Conn. +, Del. +, D.C. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Ky. +, Maine +, Md. +, Mass. +, Mich. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, N.H. +, N.J. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, R.I. +, Tenn. +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +, Europe +, sw Asia (Turkey) +, n Africa +, also in South America (Chile) +  and Australia +
0–1300 m +
sparse;copious +
long-stalked +  and subumbellate +
short-racemose +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
Disturbed areas, roadsides +
stellate-hairy +
tough-fibrous +
connate +  and distinct +
simple +, stipulate +, sessile +, subsessile +  and petiolate +
distichous +  and alternate +
2-pinnatifid +
5 cm50 mm <br />0.05 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
entire +  and serrate +
oblong +  and reniform +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
2 times as long as blade +
3-40-carpellate +
(1-)2-many +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (35 cm350 mm <br />0.35 m <br />) +
bright pink;pale-purple or white +
adnate +  and distinct +
2.5-3 times calyx +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (3.5 cm35 mm <br />0.035 m <br />) +
Flowering May–Oct. +
9mm +  and 11mm +
adherent +
notched +  and reniform-rounded +
0.12 cm1.2 mm <br />0.0012 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (?) +
persistent +
Introduced +  and Weedy +
sessile +  and subsessile +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
erect;ascending +
stellate-hairy +  and hirsute +
11 +  and 15 +
filiform +, linear +  and capitate +
1-2 times number of carpels +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
linear +  and narrowly oblong-lanceolate +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
11-15-branched +
hirsute +, glabrous +  and hairy +
Axolopha +, Bismalva +  and Saviniona +
Malva moschata +
species +
hairy +  and glabrous +
monoecious +, dioecious +  and hermaphroditic +