Malva pusilla

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Malva pusilla
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Genus: Malva
Species:
M. pusilla
Binomial name
Malva pusilla
Sm.
Synonyms

Malva rotundifoliaL.

Malva pusilla, also known as Malva rotundifolia (the latter of which is now officially rejected by botanists)[ citation needed ], the low mallow, [1] small mallow, [2] or the round-leaved mallow, is an annual and biennial herb species of the Mallow genus Malva in the family of Malvaceae. Malva is a genus that consists of about 30 species of plants. This genus consists of plants named mallows. Mallows grow in many regions, including temperate, subtropical, and tropical areas. [3]

Contents

Distribution

Malva pusilla is native to temperate and Mediterranean Europe, Turkey, Caucasia, and northwest Iran. [4] It is invasive to North America, Europe, and Korea. [5] In the United States, in can specifically be found in the states of California, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming. [6]

"Invasive distribution of Malva pusilla in North America" Malva pusilla distribution.png
"Invasive distribution of Malva pusilla in North America"

Habitat and ecology

Malva pusilla can be found widely in wastelands, grasslands, pastures, and by roadsides. [7] It is easy to grow in ordinary garden conditions in moist, fertile soil and a sunny setting. It is prone to predation by rabbits and infestation by rust fungus. [8]

Invasiveness

Mallows can be used as garden flowers. However, some species are considered weeds, especially in areas where they are not native. Malva pusilla grows rapidly as a weed in gardens and farmlands. It is considered hard to get rid of because of its long and tough taproots. Among cultivated crops, it can be very competitive and it can spread very quickly. Herbicide control options of this mallow are limited and not highly effective. [9]

Morphology

Malva pusilla stems can grow to a height of 4–20 inches (100–510 mm). Malva pusilla leaves are attached alternately to the stem. Leaves have orbicular shape (widely triangular) with palmate venation and serrate margins. In the past, mallows were often referred to as cheesepants because the carpel is shaped similarly to a triangular wedge of cheese. [3]

Flowers and seeds

The Malva pusilla flower consists of five petals of white, sometimes pale pink, color with pink venation. Petals and calyx are about the same length. [7] It has many stamens and the filaments are fused. Flowering begins in June and July and ends in September and October. Flowers bloom in groups of 2 to 5 at the base of the leaf stalks. The flower's nectar is located near the upper surface of the sepals. It is self-pollinating with the aid of insects. [3] The flowers are hermaphrodite, consisting of both female and male parts. [8] There are usually 8 to 12 seeds per flower that are arranged in a ring. The tough seed coat enables it to remain dormant in the soil for up to 100 years. Seeds tend to germinate late in the springtime during temperatures of 15–20 °C (59–68 °F). [9]

Uses

Dyes

Dyes can be obtained from the Malva pusilla plant and seed heads, such as cream, yellow, and green. The root can also be used as a toothbrush. [8]

Food

Some species of mallows are eaten as a leaf vegetable. The leaves and seeds of Malva pusilla are edible. They have a mild and pleasant flavor that can be used in salads. [8] Known in Arabic as khobeza (Arabic : خُبَيْزَةkhubayzah, literally 'small bread'), it serves as famine food. In April 2024, the New York Times reported that Gazans under siege were eating it to stave off starvation. [10]

Medicinal

Malva pusilla has medicinal uses. The leaves are demulcent, which can be used as a soothing agent to relieve minor pain and membrane inflammation. They can be used to treat inflammation of the digestive and urinary systems. The seed of the Malva pusilla can be used in the treatment of coughs, bronchitis, ulcers, and hemorrhoids. It can also be applied externally to treat diseases of the skin. Although there have been no indications of dangerous toxicity, the leaves of Malva pusilla can be highly concentrated in nitrates, which can be dangerous to animals. [8]

Cross hybridization

Extensive hybridization can be done within the Mallow genus Malva . A cross between Malva pusilla and Malva neglecta is Malva ×henningii. A cross between Malva pusilla and Malva sylvestris is Malva ×littoralis. [4]

See also

Khubeza patties

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malvaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

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, roselle and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ornamentals, such as Alcea (hollyhock), Malva (mallow), and Tilia. The genera with the largest numbers of species include Hibiscus, Pavonia, Sida, Ayenia, Dombeya, and Sterculia.

<i>Malva</i> Genus of flowering plants

Malva is a genus of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae. It is 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.

<i>Rumex obtusifolius</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae

Rumex obtusifolius, commonly known as bitter dock, broad-leaved dock, bluntleaf dock, dock leaf, dockens or butter dock, is a perennial plant in the family Polygonaceae. It is native to Europe, but is found on all temperate continents. It is a highly invasive species in some zones, resulting from its abundant seed dispersal, adaptability to reproduce, aggressive roots, ability to tolerate extreme climates, and hardiness.

<i>Malva moschata</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Hibiscus moscheutos</i> Species of aquatic plant

Hibiscus moscheutos, the rose mallow, swamp rose-mallow, crimsoneyed rosemallow, or eastern rosemallow, is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae. It is a cold-hardy perennial wetland plant that can grow in large colonies. The hirsute leaves are of variable morphology, but are commonly deltoidal in shape with up to three lobes. It is found in wetlands and along the riverine systems of the eastern United States from Texas to the Atlantic states, its territory extending northward to southern Ontario.

<i>Hoheria</i> Genus of trees

Hoheria is a genus of six species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae. All are endemic to New Zealand. The genus name is a latinization of the Māori language name, houhere. That name, as well as lacebark and ribbonwood, are often used as common names. The name lacebark comes from the lace-like fibrous inner bark layer.

<i>Malva assurgentiflora</i> Species of tree

Malva assurgentiflora, formerly classified as Lavatera assurgentiflora, the island mallow, mission mallow, royal mallow, malva rosa island mallow, island tree mallow or malva rosa in Spanish, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family.

<i>Malva trimestris</i> Species of plant

Malva trimestris, common names annual mallow, rose mallow, royal mallow, regal mallow, and common annual tree mallow is a species of flowering plant native to the Mediterranean region.

<i>Malva acerifolia</i> Species of plant in the family Malvaceae

Malva acerifolia, also frequently known under the synonyms Lavatera acerifolia or Malva canariensis is a shrub endemic to the Canary Islands, belonging to the family Malvaceae.

<i>Malva alcea</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Malva thuringiaca</i> Species of flowering plant

Malva thuringiaca, the garden tree-mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family Malvaceae, native to eastern Europe and southwestern Asia, from southern Germany south to Italy, and east to southern Russia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey.

<i>Malva arborea</i> Species of flowering plant

Malva arborea, the tree mallow, is a species of mallow native to the coasts of western Europe and the Mediterranean region, from Ireland and Britain south to Algeria and Libya, and east to Greece.

<i>Malva sylvestris</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Malva preissiana</i> Species of flowering plant

Malva preissiana, the Australian hollyhock or native hollyhock, is a herbaceous perennial in the family Malvaceae, found in all Australian states.

<i>Malva neglecta</i> Species of flowering plant

Malva neglecta is a species of plant of the family Malvaceae, native to most of the Old World except sub-Saharan Africa. It is an annual growing to 0.6 m (2 ft). It is known as common mallow in the United States and also as buttonweed, cheeseplant, cheeseweed, dwarf mallow, and roundleaf mallow. This plant is often consumed as a food, with its leaves, stalks and seed all being considered edible. This is especially true of the seeds, which contain 21% protein and 15.2% fat.

<i>Malva parviflora</i> Species of flowering plant

Malva parviflora is an annual or perennial herb that is native to Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and Western and Central 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, Nafa Shak, and smallflower mallow.

<i>Malva multiflora</i> Species of flowering plant

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.

<i>Malva nicaeensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Malva nicaeensis is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names bull mallow and French mallow.

<i>Malva verticillata</i> Species of flowering plant

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 thirteen or more stamens. Each flower has three narrow epicalyx bracts. The fruit is a dry, hairless nutlet. The leaves are simple and alternate.

<i>Sphaeralcea parvifolia</i> Plant species in the mallow family

Sphaeralcea parvifolia, commonly called small-leaved globe-mallow or small-leaf globemallow, is a species of plant native to the western United States in the Great Basin and Colorado River drainage. It is medium sized herbaceous species that has showy orange flower spikes. It is used in wildflower and dry gardens.

References

  1. ↑ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Malva pusilla​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  2. ↑ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 "Dwarf Mallow". NatureGate. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  4. 1 2 Hinsley, Stewart R. "Malvaceae Info" . Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Malva pusilla". Invasive Species Compendium. CABI. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Low Mallow (Malva Pusilla)". Sagebud. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  7. 1 2 Garms, Harry; Wilhelm Eigener; A. Melderis; Joyce Pope (1967). The Natural History of Europe All in Color. Paul Hamlyn.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Malva pusilla – Sm". Plants for a Future. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  9. 1 2 "Round-leaved Mallow". Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives. Manitoba. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2013.
  10. ↑ Ben Hubbard; Bilal Shbair (7 April 2024). "Gazans Are Turning to This Wild Plant for Survival". New York Times. p. 1. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
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