Malva moschata
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image = Malva moschata 20060708163508wp.jpg
|image_caption = Flowers
|genus = Malva
|species = moschata
|authority = L.
}}
Malva moschata, the musk mallow or musk-mallow,{{BSBI 2007 |access-date=2014-10-17}} is a species of flowering plant in the family Malvaceae, native to Europe and southwestern Asia, from Spain north to the British Isles and Poland, and east to southern Russia and Turkey.Flora Europaea: [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Malva&SPECIES_XREF=moschata&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Malva moschata]Med-Checklist: [http://ww2.bgbm.org/mcl/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameId=15298&PTRefFk=1276 Malva moschata]Flora of NW Europe: [http://ip30.eti.uva.nl/BIS/flora.php?selected=beschrijving&menuentry=soorten&id=2136 Malva moschata]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}Blamey, M. & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). Flora of Britain and Northern Europe. {{ISBN|0-340-40170-2}} Growing to {{convert|60 |cm|in|abbr=on}} tall, it is a herbaceous perennial with hairy stems and foliage, and pink saucer-shaped flowers in summer.
Description
The leaves are alternate, 2–8 cm long and 2–8 cm broad, palmately lobed with five to seven lobes; basal leaves on the lower stem are very shallowly lobed, those higher on the stems are deeply divided, with narrow, acuminate lobes. The flowers are produced in clusters in the leaf axils, each flower 3.2–5 cm in diameter, with five bright pink petals with a truncated to notched apex; they have a distinctive musky odour. The fruit is a disc-shaped schizocarp 3–6 mm in diameter, containing 10–16 seeds, the seeds individually enclosed in a mericarp covered in whitish hairs. It has a chromosome count of 2n=42.
Ecology
It occurs on dry, but fertile soils at altitudes from sea level up to {{convert|1500 |m|ft|abbr=on}}. Natural hybrids with the closely related Malva alcea are occasionally found.
Cultivation and uses
File:White musk mallow in Tuntorp 2.jpg
File:Malva moschata 021.jpg, Quebec, Canada]]
Malva moschata is widely grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive scented flowers, produced for a long period through the summer. Several cultivars have been selected for variation in flower colour, including 'Rosea' with dark pink flowers.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan {{ISBN|0-333-47494-5}}.Malva Pages: [http://www.malvaceae.info/Genera/Malva/Bismalva.php Musk Mallows (section Bismalva)]
Leaves and flowers of muskmallow are common additions to "wild" salads. The seeds are also edible.
It has been introduced to and become naturalised in several areas with temperate climates away from its native range, including Scandinavia, New Zealand, and North America.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons-inline}}
- {{Wikispecies-inline}}
- {{PFAF|Malva moschata}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20081224142624/http://www.herbyclinic.com/article.php?id=49 Medical Uses, applications]
{{Taxonbar|from=Q157920}}