Key to Malva

View taxon page for Malva

(For a list of species in Malva, use the above link.)

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Shrub, stem generally 1–4 m; flowers showy, petals 2.5–4.5 cm; calyx > 10 mm; segments 6–8 ..... M. assurgentiflora

1' Annual to 

perennial 

Completing life cycle (germination through death) in more than two years or growing seasons, generally non-woody (at least above ground) to woody; includes perennial herbs as well as subshrubs to trees; the abbreviation 'per' only refers to perennial herb, not to the word 'perennial' alone.

 herb (subshrub), stem 0.1–3 m; flowers showy or not; petals 0.4–3 cm; calyx < 10 mm; segments 6–15

2. Petals generally > 15 mm, showy, dark-veined; stem 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

; bractlets free; calyx 6–8 mm; plant sparsely hairy ..... M. sylvestris

2' Petals generally < 15 mm, showy or not, dark-veined or not; stem 

prostrate 

Lying flat on the ground.

to erect; bractlets free or ± fused; calyx 3–6 mm; plant generally sparsely hairy to glabrous

3. Bractlets 

linear 

Elongate, with nearly parallel sides; narrower than elliptic or oblong.

to thread-like; calyx much larger in fruit, 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

 

spreading 

Oriented more or less perpendicularly to the axis of attachment; often, more or less horizontal.

, not enclosing fruit; petals ± = calyx, <= 5 mm, ± pink to generally white; fruit segment outer edges thin-winged, toothed ..... M. parviflora

3' Bractlets widely linear, 

lanceolate 

Narrowly elongate, widest in the basal half, often tapered to an acute tip.

, 

ovate 

Egg-shaped (i.e., widest below the middle) in two dimensions (i.e., in one plane), as a leaf.

, to rounded; calyx not much larger in fruit or if so, lobes generally enclosing fruit; petals ± > or >> calyx, > 5 mm, white to generally ± pink or ± purple; fruit segment outer edges not winged

4. Bractlets widely linear to narrowly lanceolate, free from each other and from calyx; fruit segments generally smooth or weakly ridged on back, outer edges ± rounded; petals pale lilac-pink to white, veins not dark

5. Stem generally prostrate to 

ascending 

Curving or angling upward from base, or about 30-60 degrees less than vertical or away from axis of attachment.

, 2–4(6) dm; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

lobes (0)5–7, margin flat; flowers generally 2–6 in leaf axils; petals generally 2 × > calyx; flower stalk in fruit >> calyx; fruit 

puberulent 

Minutely hairy.

on back ..... M. neglecta

5' Stem erect, (5)10–20(30) dm; leaf lobes generally 5, margin wavy; flowers 2–8 in leaf axils; petals generally ± > calyx; flower stalk in fruit < calyx; fruit glabrous on back ..... [M. verticillata var. crispa]

4' Bractlets widely lanceolate to ovate or ± round, bases fused to each other or to calyx; fruit segments generally net-veined or cross-ridged on back, outer edges sharp (rounded); petals rose or pale lilac-pink to white, veins generally dark

6. Bractlets generally fused to calyx, upper 1/2 free, widely lanceolate to ovate; stem generally 

decumbent 

lying mostly flat on the ground but with tips curving up.

or ascending, < 1 m; fruit segments strongly net-veined-pitted on back, outer edges sharp ..... M. nicaeensis

6' Bractlets generally fused to each other, upper 2/3 free, ovate to round; stem erect, generally > 1 m; fruit segments faint-net-veined or cross-ridged on back, outer edges ± sharp (rounded)

7. Involucel > calyx, leaves densely soft-stellate-hairy; petals rose to lavender with 5 dark veins; stem base generally woody ..... M. arborea

7' Involucel < calyx; leaves sparsely 

stellate 

Pertaining to a hair or other structure with three or more branches radiating in two or three dimensions from a common point.

hairy; petals pale pink to white generally with 3 dark veins; stem base not woody ..... M. multiflora

Please use this Google Form for Contact/Feedback

Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) . Jepson eFlora, https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/ [accessed on ]

Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on .

We encourage links to these pages, but the content may not be downloaded for reposting, repackaging, redistributing, or sale in any form, without written permission from The Jepson Herbarium.