Malvastrum corchorifolium

(Desrousseaux) Britton ex Small

Fl. Miami, 200. 1913.

Common names: Caribbean false mallow
Basionym: Malva corchorifolia Desrousseaux in J. Lamarck et al., Encycl. 3: 755 [as 743]. 1792,
Synonyms: Malvastrum rugelii S. Watson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 296. Mentioned on page 294, 297.

Herbs, annual or perennial, suffruticose in age, 0.6–1.5 m, sparsely branched in proximal 1/2, usually with 1 main-stem. Stems erect, hairs scattered, appressed, distinctly bilateral, 4-rayed, not sublepidote, swollen-based, or few, minute, marginal, simple hairs. Inflorescences axillary, solitary flowers at first, later congested or loose terminal spikes 1–2 cm, these in distal leaf-axils or terminating each branch; floral bracts usually 2-fid, 3–6 × 1 mm, or flowers subtended by leaf and stipules. Pedicels 0.5–2 mm; involucellar bractlets basally adnate to calyx for 0.5–1 mm, lanceolate, subfalcate, 4–6 × 0.8–1 mm, ± equaling calyx lobes, apex acuminate. Flowers: calyx connate for 1/4–1/3 its length, broadly campanulate, 5–6 mm, to 7–11 mm in fruit, surface moderately hairy, hairs simple, 2–4-rayed, mixed with scattered, 4–6-rayed, stellate, minute hairs; corolla campanulate to widespreading, yellow to pale yellow-orange, 12–17 mm diam., petals obovate, asymmetrically lobed, 6–7 × 3–4 mm, exceeding calyx by 2 mm; staminal column 2–2.5 mm, sparsely stellate-puberulent; style (9–) 11–13 (–16) -branched. Schizocarps 4–7 mm diam.; mericarps tardily shed from calyx, (9–) 11–13 (–16), 2.5–3 × 2–2.5 × 1.1 mm, margins angled, sides radially ribbed, narrowly-notched, with 3 minute, apical cusps 0.1–0.4 mm, 1 at proximal-apical surface, 2 at distal-apical surface, moderately hairy on dorsal 1/3, hairs erect, minute, simple or 2–rayed, and erect, simple, rigid hairs 0.5–1 mm, minutely hirsute with ascending, simple hairs 0.1–0.5 mm mixed with minute, simple or 2-rayed or 3-rayed, stellate hairs. Seeds 1.5–1.7 mm. 2n = 48.


Phenology: Flowering nearly year-round when sufficiently wet and warm.
Habitat: Open, usually coastal, calcareous soil
Elevation: 0–20 m

Distribution

V6 538-distribution-map.jpg

Ala., Fla., Mexico, West Indies, Central America, in Africa (Ghana)

Discussion

Malvastrum corchorifolium is most likely a stabilized allopolyploid hybrid between M. americanum and M. coromandelianum, and it appears to have originated and stabilized at least twice, in eastern Central America (Honduras or Nicaragua) and somewhere in the West Indies (the two groups are morphologically distinguishable). Plants in the flora area have typical West Indian morphology, as do those from Ghana, the latter possibly introduced during the time of the slave trade. The Alabama record was historic only; the specimen was collected on ship ballast brought in from Jamaica.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"connate" is not a number.

... more about "Malvastrum corchorifolium"
acuminate +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.04 cm0.4 mm <br />4.0e-4 m <br />) +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.23 cm2.3 mm <br />0.0023 m <br />) +
Steven R. Hill +
(Desrousseaux) Britton ex Small +
nearly truncate +  and cuneate +
Malva corchorifolia +
asymmetric +  and symmetric +
3-lobed +, unlobed +, wide-ovate +  and lanceolate +
0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
subfalcate +  and lanceolate +
0.08 cm0.8 mm <br />8.0e-4 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
campanulate +
accrescent +
0.7 cm7 mm <br />0.007 m <br /> (1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br />) +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
Caribbean false mallow +
yellow +  and pale yellow-orange +
1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br /> (1.7 cm17 mm <br />0.017 m <br />) +
widespreading +
campanulate +
Ala. +, Fla. +, Mexico +, West Indies +, Central America +  and in Africa (Ghana) +
0–20 m +
sparse;copious +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
pistillate +  and staminate +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
depressed +  and not inflated +
Open, usually coastal, calcareous soil +
simple +, 2-rayed +  and not swollen-based +
mixed +, scattered +  and bilateral +
ascending +  and erect +
minute +
0.01 cm0.1 mm <br />1.0e-4 m <br /> (0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br />) +
tough-fibrous +
connate +  and distinct +
simple +, stipulate +, sessile +, subsessile +  and petiolate +
distichous +  and alternate +
deltate +  and narrowly triangular +
brown +, tan +  and drying +
dehiscent +  and indehiscent +
1.1 cm11 mm <br />0.011 m <br /> (?) +
0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br />) +
glabrous +  and hairy +
wedge--shaped +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
(5-)8-18-carpellate +
0.05 cm0.5 mm <br />5.0e-4 m <br /> (0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br />) +
adnate +  and distinct +
lobed;obovate +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.4 cm4 mm <br />0.004 m <br /> (?) +
Flowering nearly year-round when sufficiently wet and warm. +
4mm +  and 7mm +
reniform +
0.15 cm1.5 mm <br />0.0015 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.17 cm1.7 mm <br />0.0017 m <br /> (?) +
persistent +
narrowly-notched +
sessile +  and subsessile +
stellate-puberulent +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br />) +
filiform +, linear +  and capitate +
1-2 times number of carpels +
lanceolate +  and linear usually subfalcate or falcate +
(9-)11-13(-16)-branched +
Malvastrum rugelii +
Malvastrum corchorifolium +
Malvastrum +
species +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
perennial +  and annual +
herb +  and suffruticose +
monoecious +, dioecious +  and hermaphroditic +