Taxon	Illustrator ⠉
	Malvaviscus arboreus var. arboreus Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii Malvella leprosa Malvella sagittifolia Meximalva filipes	Linny Heagy Linny Heagy Linny Heagy Linny Heagy Linny Heagy

Herbs, perennial. Stems prostrate, with stellate and lepidote pubescence, not viscid. Leaves alternate and distichous; stipules persistent, subulate, 3–5 mm; blade asymmetric basally, [± flabellate], reniform, or ovate to triangular, not dissected or parted, base asymmetric, margins dentate, serrate, or entire, surfaces stellate or lepidote. Inflorescences axillary solitary flowers; involucel present or absent, bractlets 0–3, persistent or caducous, distinct. Flowers: calyx not accrescent, not inflated, lobes unribbed, ovate or cordate, stellate or lepidote; corolla whitish or pale-yellow, sometimes with pink flush or fading pale rose; staminal column included; style 7–10-branched; stigmas capitate. Fruits schizocarps, erect, not inflated, oblate, not indurate, minutely hairy; mericarps 7–10, 1-celled, dorsally rounded, essentially unornamented, lateral walls persistent, essentially indehiscent. Seeds 1 per mericarp, glabrous. x = probably 16.

Distribution

United States, Mexico, South America (Peru to Uruguay), Europe, Asia (Asia Minor)

Discussion

Species 4 (3 in the flora).

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

Malvella lepidota, Malvella leprosa, Malvella sagittifolia

Key

1	Leaf blades wider than long, ± reniform, apex obtuse or subacute, indument predominantly stellate; involucellar bractlets usually 3, sometimes 0; calyx lobes ovate, bases not overlapping.	Malvella leprosa
1	Leaf blades longer than wide, ovate to triangular, apex acute, indument ± silvery-lepidote; involucellar bractlets usually 0, rarely present; calyx lobes ± cordate, bases plicate-overlapping	> 2
2	Leaf blades ± triangular, length 1–2(–3) times width, margins irregularly dentate, surfaces often with at least some stellate hairs mixed with silvery scales.	Malvella lepidota
2	Leaf blades narrowly triangular, length 3–5(–6) times width, margins hastate-toothed at base, surfaces silvery-lepidote.	Malvella sagittifolia