Malva sylvestris

It is one of several species of different genera sometimes referred to as Creeping Charlie, a term more commonly applied to Glechoma hederacea (ground ivy). ==Description==

Common mallow is a herbaceous perennial with an erect or decumbent branched stem up to tall. The minutely ridged stems are covered with fine soft hairs, sometimes with a slightly bulbous base. The leaves are alternate, with a petiole up to long, simple but palmate, up to 7 cm long by 10 cm wide, with stellate hairs (i.e. several strands radiating from a common center) and prominent veins on the underside. The flowers are reddish-purple with dark stripes and occur in axillary clusters of 2 to 4 along the main stem with the flowers at the base opening first. There are 5 petals, each being up to long, and 5 sepals, 3–6 mm long, which are fused in the lower half, and have broadly triangular lobes. There is also an epicalyx (or false calyx) with oblong segments, two-thirds as long as calyx lobes (2–3 mm long x 1.5 mm wide). Fruits Nutlets strongly reticulate (10–12 mericarps, usually without hair, with sharp angle between dorsal and lateral surfaces, 5–6 mm in diameter. Chemistry M. sylvestris contains malvin and malonylmalvin. It also contains the naphthoquinone malvone A, which is also a phytoalexin. == Subspecies ==

Plants previously often described as Malva sylvestris var. malaca are now considered a cultivar group Malva sylvestris Mauritiana group. ==Distribution and habitat==

Malva sylvestris spreads itself on waste and rough ground, by roads and railways throughout lowland England, Wales and Channel Islands, Siberia and scattered elsewhere. and grows as a biennial in the Mediterranean; it grows as a perennial elsewhere. It has been introduced to and has become naturalised in eastern Australia, in the United States, Canada, and Mexico as an invasive species. In the wild :Palearctic: ::Macaronesia: Azores, Madeira Islands ::Northern Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco ::Arabian Peninsula: Saudi Arabia ::Western Asia: Afghanistan, Sinai, Iran, Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey ::Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Ciscaucasia, Dagestan, Georgia ::Soviet Middle Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan ::Mongolia: Mongolia ::China: Xinjiang ::Indian Subcontinent: Bhutan, India, Pakistan ::Northern Europe: Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, United Kingdom ::Middle Europe: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland ::East Europe: Belarus, Central Russia, Central Black Earth, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Northern Russia, North Caucasus, Northwestern Russia, Volga, Urals, Volga-Vyatka, Ukraine ::Southeastern Europe: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Sardinia, Serbia, Sicily, Slovenia, Romania, Cyprus ::Southwestern Europe: Balearic Islands, Corsica, France, Portugal, Spain Source: USDA ARS GRIN ==Cultivation==

It is often grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive flowers, produced for a long period through the summer. Numerous cultivars have been selected and named. Cultivars of Malva sylvestris include: 'Annita', 'Aurora', 'Bardsey Blue', 'Blue Fountain', 'Brave Heart', 'Cottenham Blue', 'Gibbortello', 'Harry Hay', 'Highnam', 'Inky Stripe', 'Knockout', 'Magic Hollyhock', 'Mest', 'Mystic Merlin', 'Perry's Blue', 'Purple Satin', 'Richard Perry', 'Tournai', 'Windsor Castle', 'Zebrina' (soft lavender-purple striped with deep maroon veins) and 'Zebrina Zebra Magis'. Cultivar groups • Malva sylvestris L. Mauritiana group: , , , . Malva mauritiana used to be recognized as a species whose range is Iberia, Italy and Algeria. == Uses ==

The young leaves and shoots are edible raw or cooked. and Middle East, including Palestine and Italy, to the Caucasus. In Morocco, Tunisia and Palestine, Malva leaves are steamed with garlic and tomatoes, and eaten as an appetizer or salad. In Egypt, the leaves are made into a stew-like vegetable dish, especially in winter, known as khobeiza, which is similar to Molokheia. In 1931, Maud Grieve wrote that the "use of this species of Mallow has been much superseded by marsh-mallow (Althaea officinalis), which possesses its properties in a superior degree, but it is still a favorite remedy with country people where marsh-mallow is not obtainable." In traditional medicine, M. sylvestris has been used in herbalism. Mucilage is present in many of the family Malvaceae including M. sylvestris, especially the fruit. The seeds are used internally in a decoction or herbal tea as a demulcent, and dyes of various yellow-green colors can be obtained from the plant and its seeds. A tincture of the flowers can make a sensitive test for alkalis. == Gallery ==

File:Malva sylvestris (1).jpg|Flower File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 26.jpg|Standard upright, spreading form; flowers large but quite variable File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 03.jpg|Standard upright form; flowers large File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 02.jpg|Trampled or mown form, stays close to ground File:Malva sylvestris in Edinburgh by David Merrick 22.jpg|Tall form (cultivated escapee) File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 15.jpg|Inflorescence top File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 17.jpg|Flowers generally large, bold coloured File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 25.jpg|May be lighter coloured File:Common mallow closeup.jpg|Colour may be rather bold File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 09.jpg|Floral organs File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 08.jpg|Calyx 5-part, parts broad (narrow epicalyx also showing) File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 01.jpg|Epicalyx 3-part, parts narrow to moderately broad File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 06.jpg|Epicalyx 3-part, parts narrow to moderately broad File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 14.jpg|Inflorescence showing features above File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 07.jpg|Inflorescence top showing features above File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 13.jpg|Fruit immature, wrinkles starting to show, hairy form (var. eriocarpa) File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 05.jpg|Fruit wrinkled, hairless form File:Malva sylvestris seeds.jpg|Fruit, hairless form File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 04.jpg|Hairs bulbous-based (may be less apparent) File:Malva sylvestris in Edinburgh by David Merrick 23.jpg|Hairs of cultivated plant, very weak with bulbous bases not very conspicuous File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 11.jpg|Leaf upperside File:Malva sylvestris in Antalya by David Merrick 10.jpg|Leaf underside ==References==