Family: Malvaceae
low mallow
[Malva rotundifolia L.]
Robert Bierman
Merel R. Black
University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)
Etymology: Malva: a Latin name for mallow taken from the Greek malache, or malakos, referring to the leaves and an ointment made from the seeds which was supposed to be soothing to the skin
Plants: erect to drooping, annual/biennial/perennial, up to 3' tall forb usually branched from the base
Leaves: long-stalked, round to kidney-shaped with 5-9 shallow lobes, rounded teeth, mostly with a heart-shaped base
Flowers: white to light pink, 5-parted, 1/2"-1" wide, petals 2 times as long as the sepals, 3 very small bracts below; inflorescence a small cluster from the leaf axils; blooms June-Oct.
Habitat: disturbed sites, farmyards, gardens
Plants: erect to drooping, annual/biennial/perennial, up to 3' tall forb usually branched from the base
Leaves: long-stalked, round to kidney-shaped with 5-9 shallow lobes, rounded teeth, mostly with a heart-shaped base
Flowers: white to light pink, 5-parted, 1/2"-1" wide, petals 2 times as long as the sepals, 3 very small bracts below; inflorescence a small cluster from the leaf axils; blooms June-Oct.
Habitat: disturbed sites, farmyards, gardens
Very similar to M. neglecta and like it a plant of lawns, pastures, fields, barnyards, waste areas, gardens, roadsides and railroads, and even sidewalk and pavement cracks. Long known as M. rotundifolia, a name rejected as a nomen ambiguum due to its confusing usage. This species is much less common than M. neglecta and was first collected in 1916. The hairs on the fruits are usually sparser than in M. neglecta but there are many plants that seem intermediate and perhaps represent hybridization; the species are known to interbreed in their native ranges.
USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos Dan Tenaglia's The Missouri Flora: Fabulous photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leave arrangement key. Illinois Wildflowers: Wonderful photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leaf arrangement key Southwest School of Botanical Medicine: Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora - 2nd Edition (1913) "An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada"
Merel R. Black
Merel R. Black
Merel R. Black
Matthew L. Wagner
Matthew L. Wagner
Botanical Illustration
from USDA Plants website
