Malva nicaeensis All., Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  yes

Other Latin names:  Malva arvensis J. Presl & C. Presl

Common name(s): [more details]

English: bull mallow, French mallow, malva of Nice

Spanish: malva, malva silvestre

Habit:  herb

Description:  "Annual or short-lived perennial, procumbent, ascending or erect herb. Stems sparsely to moderately hairy with usually simple hairs. Leaves glabrous to sparsely hairy with usually simple hairs and rarely stellate hairs above, sparsely to moderately hairy below, reniform to orbicular, obtuse to cordate at base, shallowly or moderately 5-7-palmately lobed and crenate, 1-10-(15) cm in diameter; petioles 1-20-(30) cm long; stipules broadly ovate with acute apex, 2-8 mm long. Flowers in axillary clusters of (1)-2-6; fruiting pedicels 2-10-(15) mm long; epicalyx segments narrowly ovate-oblong to broadly ovate, ± = calyx at flowering; calyx teeth broadly ovate-triangular, sparsely hairy with simple or stellate hairs and ciliate on teeth but lower tube ± glabrous, slightly enlarged at fruiting; petals pale lilac or pink with darker veins and tips, about 2x length of calyx, 6-10 mm long. Mericarps 8-9-(10) per fruit, often hairy when immature but usually becoming glabrous, strongly reticulately veined on back; edges sharply angled but not winged"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 833).

Habitat/ecology:  In New Zealand, "waste places, coastal habitats"  (Webb et al., 1988; p. 833).  "In Chile this species grows in the following environmental conditions:  Low altitude, interior valleys; coastal mountains, 500-2000 m; coastal areas, 0-500 m. Dry, arid areas, with long drought periods of 6-10 months, precipitations of 100-300 mm. are concentrated in winter; somewhat dry areas where the drought may last 3-5 months, precipitations of 400-800 mm. are concentrated in winter. Fully exposed to the sun, level areas or slopes facing north; some shadow, some protection against direct sunlight, some shadow from vegetation, filtering about 20-40% of light"  (Chileflora).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Canary and Madeira Islands, northern Africa, Europe, western Asia (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
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 cultivated	Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido (2006) (p. 555)

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 (2011)
Chile (continental) Chile	Chile (Republic of)	introduced	Belov, Michail (2011)
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 833)
United States (west coast) United States (west coast states)	USA (California)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011)

Also reported from
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
United States (continental except west coast) United States (other states)	United States (other states)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. (2011) Montana

Additional information:
Photos and other information from Chileflora.

Additional online information about Malva nicaeensis is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Information about Malva nicaeensis as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

Taxonomic information about Malva nicaeensis may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Atkinson, Rachel/Sawyer, John. 2011. Naturalized species in the Juan Fernández Archipelago, Chile. Unpublished spreadsheet.

Belov, Michail. 2011. Chileflora (online resource).

Danton, Philippe/Perrier, Christophe/Martinez Reyes, Guido. 2006. Nouveau catalogue de la flore vaculaire de l'archipel Juan Fernández (Chile) [Nuevo catálogo de la flora vacular del Archipélago Juan Fernández (Chile)]. Acta Bot. Gallica 153(4):399-587.

National Herbarium of New South Wales. 2011. PlantNet: New South Wales Flora online. The Plant Information Network System of the Botanic Gardens Trust Version 2.0. Online resource.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Nat. Res. Cons. Serv. 2011. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.