Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Malva tomentosa L.

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrubs 1-2 m tall, the stems stellate-pubescent, the hairs appressed, 0.5 mm long or less, mostly 6-8-armed.  Leaf blades mostly 2-6 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, ovate or ovate-triangular, basally truncate to subcordate and entire, otherwise prominently dentate, acute, palmately 5 (-7)-nerved, minutely and evenly stellate-pubescent above and beneath, the hairs 6-12-armed, somewhat discolorous; petioles 1/4-1/2 length of blade, stellate-pubescent; stipules 3-4 mm long, subulate, caducous.  Inflorescences in axillary and terminal glomerules (and on lateral axillary peduncles), the whole an interrupted more or less leafy spiciform inflorescence; flowers subsessile, the pedicels 2 mm long or less; involucellar bracts 3, subulate, 3-4 mm long; calyx 7-9 mm long, densely stellate-tomentose, ca half-divided; petals 6-8 mm long, yellow, prominently ciliate on margins of claw, otherwise glabrous; staminal column 3-4 mm long, pallid, stellate-pubescent; styles exceeding androecium, ca 10.  Fruits oblate, 6 mm in diameter, densely stellate-tomentose; mericarps ca 10, each with 2 dorsal spines; seeds solitary."  (Fryxell, 1992)

subsp. tomentosum: Calyx spreading in fruit; dorsal cusps on mericarps ca 1 mm long.
subsp. pautense: Calyx inrolled in fruit; dorsal cusps on mericarps ca 0.5 mm long  (Fryxell, 1992; pp. 72-75).

Habitat/ecology:  "0-1800 m elevation (ssp.tomentosum), 2400-2700 m (ssp. pautense)" (Fryxell, 1992; pp. 72-75).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil (Fryxell, 1992; pp. 72-75).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Floreana Group	Floreana Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)
Ecuador (Galápagos Islands) Santa Cruz Group	Santa Cruz Island	introduced invasive	Charles Darwin Foundation (2008)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	native	Fryxell, PLaul A. (1992) (pp. 72-75)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	native	Fryxell, PLaul A. (1992) (p. 74)

Comments:  Probably not native to the Galápagos Islands, possibly introduced, per Charles Darwin Research Station.

Control:  If you know of control methods for Malvastrum tomentosum, please let us know.