Malva multiflora (previously known as Lavatera cretica) 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 multiflora | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Malva |
| Species: | M. multiflora |
| Binomial name | |
| Malva multiflora (Cav.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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List
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Leaf laminas of Malva multiflora can track solar position throughout the day and turn to face the sunrise, behavior that anticipates the future, despite lacking a central nervous system.[2][3]
Botanical gallery
Photos from Antalya in Turkey.
Plant generally upright
Plant generally upright
Inflorescence, distant
Inflorescence, close
Flower, usually pale
Flower, rather bigger than calyx, calyx 5-part, epicalyx 3-broad-parts, usually reasonably stellate-hairy
Floral organs, unopened
Floral organs, opened
Epicalyx 3-part broad, joined at base
Flowers
Fruit, hairy form, mature, always lacks wrinkles, with rounded surface
Fruit, hairy form, mature, from side
Fruit, hairless form, mature
Fruit, hairless form, young
Fruiting inflorescence
Stellate (starlike) hairs with bulbous bases conspicuous
Leaf upperside
Leaf upperside, hairy example (may lack hairs)
Leaf underside
Leaf underside
Leaf stalk hairs
Biennial form, thick trunked
Biennial form, trunk
Trampled form, still showing a main stem
Trampled form, showing smaller leaves
References
External links
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