Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ornamentals, such as Alcea (hollyhock), Malva (mallow) and Lavatera, as well as Tilia. The largest genera in terms of number of species include Hibiscus, Sterculia, Dombeya, Pavonia and Sida.
Hyacinthoides hispanica, the Spanish bluebell, is a spring-flowering bulbous perennial native to the Iberian Peninsula. It is one of around a dozen species in the genus Hyacinthoides, others including the common bluebell in northwestern Europe, and the Italian bluebell further east in the Mediterranean region.
Malva is a genus of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae, one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Europe.
Malva pudding is a sweet pudding of South African origin. It contains apricot jam and has a spongy caramelized texture. A cream sauce is often poured over it while it is hot, and it is usually served hot with custard and/or ice-cream. Many South African restaurants offer it.
Malva moschata, the musk mallow or musk-mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Europe and southwestern Asia, from Spain north to the British Isles and Poland, and east to southern Russia and Turkey. Growing to 60 cm (24 in) tall, it is a herbaceous perennial with hairy stems and foliage, and pink saucer-shaped flowers in summer.
Malvoideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, which includes in the minimum the genus Malva. It was first used by Burnett in 1835, but was not much used until recently, where, within the framework of the APG System, which unites the families Malvaceae, Bombacaceae, Sterculiaceae and Tiliaceae of the Cronquist system, the aggregate family Malvaceae is divided into 9 subfamilies, including Malvoideae. The Malvoideae of Kubitzki and Bayer includes 4 tribes:-
Malva alcea is a plant in the mallow family native to southwestern, central and eastern Europe and southwestern Asia, from Spain north to southern Sweden and east to Russia and Turkey.
Malva sylvestris is a species of the mallow genus Malva in the family of Malvaceae and is considered to be the type species for the genus. Known as common mallow to English-speaking Europeans, it acquired the common names of cheeses, high mallow and tall mallow as it migrated from its native home in Western Europe, North Africa and Asia through the English-speaking world.
Malva preissiana, the Australian hollyhock or native hollyhock, is a herbaceous perennial in the family Malvaceae, found in all Australian states.
Malva parviflora is an annual or perennial herb that is native to Northern Africa, Europe and Asia and is widely naturalised elsewhere. Common names include cheeseweed, cheeseweed mallow, Egyptian mallow, least mallow, little mallow, mallow, marshmallow, small-flowered mallow, small-flowered marshmallow and smallflower mallow. M. parviflora leaf extracts possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. It has a decumbent or erect habit, growing up to 50 cm in height. The broad leaves have 5 to 7 lobes and are 8 to 10 cm in diameter. It has small white or pink flowers with 4 to 6 mm long petals.
Malva multiflora is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names Cornish mallow and Cretan hollyhock. It is native to western Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin, and it is naturalized in areas with a Mediterranean climate, such as parts of Australia, South Africa, and California. This is an annual or biennial herb growing a tough, somewhat hairy stem to a maximum height between 1 and 3 meters. The leaves are multilobed with flat or wavy edges, slightly hairy, and up to 10 centimeters long. The plant bears small pink or light purple flowers with petals just over a centimeter long. The fruit is disc-shaped with 7 to 10 segments.
Malva nicaeensis is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names bull mallow and French mallow.
Malveae is a tribe of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, subfamily Malvoideae. The tribe circumscribes approximately 70 genera and 1040 species and has the greatest species diversity out the three tribes that make up Malvoideae. The flowers of Malveae are five-merous with a characteristic staminal column, a trait found throughout Malvoideae. Although there are not many economically important species within Malveae, the tribe includes Althaea officinalis, otherwise known as the Marsh Mallow.
Malva verticillata, also known as the Chinese mallow or cluster mallow, is a species of the mallow genus Malva in the family of Malvaceae found in East Asia from Pakistan to China. M. verticillata is an annual or biennial that grow up to 1.7 meters in high and can inhabit woodland areas of different soil types. The small, symmetrical flowers have five white, pink or red petals (0.8 cm) and 13 or more stamens. Each flower has 3 narrow epicalyx bracts. The fruit is a dry, hairless nutlet. The leaves are simple and alternate.
Malachra is a genus of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, native to the Americas and Africa, and introduced in places in Asia. They lack an epicalyx, an autapomorphy within their tribe Hibisceae, which is known for having epicalyces.
Malva subovata, the tree mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to the shores of the western and central Mediterranean. As its synonym Lavatera maritima it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Malva tournefortiana is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Morocco, Portugal, Spain and France. A hexaploid, it is in section Bismalva with M. moschata and M. alcea.
Malva aegyptia, the Egyptian mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to North Africa, Spain, Greece, and western Asia as far as Turkmenistan, and has been introduced to South Africa. With Althaea hirsuta it is a parent of the ancient hybrid × Malvalthaea transcaucasica.
Malva cretica is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Tunisia, Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Italy, Albania, Greece, the eastern Aegean Islands, Crete, Cyprus, and Turkey, and introduced to France. There may be a subspecies, Malva cretica subsp. althaeoides, present in Spain.
Malva ludwigii is a widespread species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is native to northern Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, and India, and disjunctly to Namibia and South Africa. A desert-adapted annual, it is also somewhat weedy, being found in cultivated land and on roadsides.
