Malva parviflora L., Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Common name(s): [more details]

English: Egyptian mallow, cheese weed, cheesewood, least mallow, little mallow, ring-leaf mallow, small-flower mallow, whorl-flower mallow, whorled mallow

French: mauve à petites fleurs, mauve d'Egypte

Spanish: malva, malva de Castilla, malva de campo, malva de flor chica, quesillo, quesitos

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual or short-lived perennial herbs; branches decumbent to ascending, 0.2-0.5 (-1) m long, glabrate to pubescent.  Leaf blades reniform-orbicular, usually 2-8 cm wide, shallowly 3-lobed, 5-lobed, or 7-lobed, margins undulate, crenate.  Flowers solitary or few in dense cymes, greatly exceeded by the leaves, pedicels filiform, up to 1 (-2.5) cm long in fruit; involucral bracts filiform to linear, 1-4 mm long; calyx 3-5 mm long, accrescent in fruit, spreading, up to 15 mm in diameter, scarious, veiny; petals lavender blue, scarcely exceeding the calyx.  Mericarps 10-11, up to 2.3 mm high and 3 mm wide, with reticulate-rugose walls and acute, slightly winged margins, indehiscent.  Seeds ca. 1.8 mm long, glabrous"  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 893).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized primarily in disturbed area, 0-2,270 m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 893). In New Caledonia, "mauvaise herbe peu commune en cultures et terrains vagues" (MacKee, 1994; p. 98).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Mediterranean region through Asia Minor to India (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 893).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced	Pickard, J. (1984) (p. 207)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Lord Howe Island	Lord Howe Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 20) Vouchers cited: J. Pickard in A.N. Rodd 1331 (K, NSW), J.D. McComish 100 (NSW)
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 9) Vouchers cited: W.R. Sykes NI 485 (CHR); 1804, F.L. Bauer (W); 1902, J.H. Maiden & J.L. Boorman (NSW); R.M. Laing (CHR)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced	Skottsberg, Carl (1953) (p. 221)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Más a Tierra (Robinson Crusoe Island)	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 555)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Santa Clara	introduced	Skottsberg, Carl (1953) (p. 221)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Santa Clara	introduced invasive	Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John (2011)
Chile (offshore islands) Juan Fernández Islands	Isla Santa Clara	introduced invasive	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 555)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) San Cristóbal Group	San Cristóbal Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008) Observed in survey, no herbarium record.
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santiago Group	Santiago Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 893)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 893)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 893)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 893)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 893)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 893)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 893)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 893)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Tern Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Martz, Kim (1999) (p. 6) Common everywhere. Though not completely habitat altering, this is one of the worst weeds at Tern Island.
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	Tassin, Jacques (2005)
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 98) Vouchers cited: MacKee 35337, MacKee 35898
New Zealand (offshore islands) Kermadec Islands	Raoul Island	introduced invasive	Sykes, W. R. (1977) (p. 114)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Babeldaob Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2010) (p. 33) Naturalized at OISCA fide Joel Miles. Naturalized
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd L. (2004) (p. 24) Vouchers cited: Starr & Martz 010520-1 (BISH), Herbst & Takeuchi 9077 (BISH)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Sand Island	introduced invasive	Starr, Forest/Starr, Kim/Loope, Lloyd (2008) (pp. B-10)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Naturalised
Japan Japan	Japan	introduced	Mito, Toshikazu/Uesugi, Tetsuro (2004) (p. 186)
Mexico Mexico	Mexico (United Mexican States)		Holm, Leroy/Pancho, Juan V./Herberger, James P./Plucknett, Donald L. (1979) (p. 227)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 834) "Waste land, cultivated land, coastal habitats, river beds".

Control:  If you know of control methods for Malva parviflora, please let us know.