Malva punctata

Malva punctata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Embryophytes
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Malvales
Family:	Malvaceae
Genus:	Malva
Species:	M. punctata
Binomial name
	Malva punctata; All. Alef.
Synonyms
	Lavatera biennis M.Bieb.; Lavatera micans sensu Pau; Althaea punctata Kuntze; Lavatera thuringiaca Savi; Lavatera punctata L.; Olbia deflexa Presl;

Malva punctata (previously known as Lavatera punctata), commonly called spotted-stalked tree-mallow^[1] or annual tree mallow, is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the genus Malva of the family Malvaceae.

Description

Malva punctata reaches on average 20–90 cm (7.9–35.4 in) of height. The stem is erect and covered with scattered hairs. The leaves are alternate, trilobed with the central lobe larger than the others, petiolate with stipules, the lowest are kidney-shaped and slightly lobed, while the upper ones are pentagonal. The flowers grow in the axils of the leaves. Calyx is campanulate, five-lobed, with five triangular pink petals with purple veins, of about 15–3 centimetres (5.9–1.2 in), three times longer than the calyx. The flowering period extends from May through June.

Distribution

Plant of western Mediterranean origin is distributed from the South of France and Italy to Albania, Greece, Palestine, Israel, Asia Minor and Turkey.^[2]

Habitat

These plants grow at an altitude of 0–600 metres (0–1,969 ft) above sea level. They prefer rocky soils in sunny areas and fallow fields, hedgerows, beds of streams and road margins.