Vervain Mallow Malva Alcea

Vervain mallow Malva alcea

Description

Introduced to North America as an ornamental.

Habit

Perennial, ranges from 1 1/2-3 1/2 in tall that branches occasionally, clump forming.

Leaves

1 1/2 - 3 1/4 in long and similarly across, palmately lobed (3-7 primary lobes each), lobes are irregularly pinnatifid and dentate, moderately deep primary lobes and more shallow for secondary. Yellowish-green to dark green and glabrous in color on upper side; while lower leaf is light green and glabrous to slightly pubescent.

Stems

Light green; angular or terete; glabrous to slightly pubescent; alternate leaves up the stem.

Source: MISIN. 2021. Midwest Invasive Species Information Network. Michigan State University - Applied Spatial Ecology and Technical Services Laboratory. Available online at https://www.misin.msu.edu/facts/detail.php?id=146. Flowers

3.5-6 cm diameter, 5 sepals, 5 bright pink petals, no scent.

Fruits and Seeds

Hairless disc-shaped schizocarp 4-8 mm diameter, containing several seeds, the seeds individually enclosed in a glabrous or hairy mericarp.

Habitat

Native to Europe. Found along roadsides, railroads, fields, gardens, and on disturbed ground. Prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil.

Reproduction

By seed.

Similar

Musk Mallow (Malva moschata).

Monitoring and Rapid Response

Effectively controlled using any of several readily available general use herbicides such as glyphosate.

Credits

The information provided in this factsheet was gathered from Illinoiswildflowers.info, Michigan Flora and the USDA PLANTS Database. Individual species images that appear with a number in a black box are courtesy of the Bugwood.org network (http://www.invasive.org).Individual photo author credits may not be included due to the small display size of the images and subsequent difficulty of reading the provided text. All other images appear courtesy of Google (http://images.google.com).