Family: Malvaceae
cheeses, common mallow
Flora.cyberia
Robert Bierman
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
Conservation Status: Introduced - naturalized
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
Conservation Status: Introduced - naturalized
Lawns, gardens, gravel areas, fields, pastures, agricultural land, waste areas, dumps, vacant lots, roadsides, and railroad corridors. First collected in 1879.
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"
Robert Bierman
Merel R. Black
Merel R. Black
Matthew L. Wagner
Matthew L. Wagner
Botanical Illustration
Stephen L. Solheim
Merel R. Black
