Malva neglecta identification

Malva neglecta identification 2016

Malva neglecta one of many a yard weed~

Seed structures were key to Malva neglecta identification. The seed carpel are in a cheese wheel shape; usual for the typical yard weed. The “wheels” can be broken by its sections. I counted the section of 4 wheels while breaking them apart. See the link to the picture I have below in the text.

Wheel	Compartments
1	14
2	13
3	14
4	14

  

I believe 14 seeds per wheel is the consensus. Although one was found to be 13, maybe I lost a segment or it was a malnourished or a deformed pod. Maybe they have variation. I took measurements of the flower parts to help in identification.

Malva neglecta flower measured with a caliper.

Flower 11.5 mm long

Sepal 8 mm long

Pedestal 17 mm long

Malva neglecta without any petals.

I found a picture of the seeds using internet searches of images searching for “cheese wheel seeds.” That pointed to the genus Malva. From there I consulted manuals and more specific image searches.

 

Gleason Manual:

7 species. The Key:

Upper lvs 5-7 divided to below the middle; pet 2-3.5 cm, erect perennials.

                No Leaves are not divided. The pet. Is 12 mm, not close to 2 cm.

                                -That removes M. moschata – deeply divided leaves with a larger showy flower.

                                -That removes M. alcea – deeply divided leaves, with a larger showy flower.

Upper lvs not divided like above and pet up to 2.5 cm.

Malva neglecta leaf measured; leaf not divided.

Bractlets oblong-ovate; pet red-purple, 2-2.5 cm

Bractlets appear like sepals, to the sepals. My specimen had 3 bractlets that were easy to identify. They were narrow and about 4-5 mm long. 3 per flower even though the flowers had 5 petals and sepals.

                -That removes M. sylvestris. This looks similar to my specimen with leaves, but has a showy flower and appears taller by internet pictures.

Bractlets linear or narrowly lanceolate; pet white or slightly tinged with pink or purple, less than 2 cm.

Yes they are narrow. Yes the pet (petals) are less than 2 cm. Yes tinged with pink, yet mostly white.

Bractlets linear of Malva neglecta. See the little points on the back of the flower bud.

Plants erect, to 2m; fls subsessile in axillary fascicles

                My specimen is small. Ground to longest length, 8 inches on mine, but some in yard may be slightly longer/taller; definitely nowhere close to 2 m. Looking at pictures on the internet, this is a larger plant with larger leaves.    

                -That removes M. verticillata.

Plants depressed, usually branched from the base; fls evidently pedicellate

My plant is small. Instead of having branches or leaves spreading from up the stem, they do appear split near the base; yet is not rosette. The fls (flowers) do have a pedicellate (pedestal or stalk that holds the flower away from the steam).

Disease on the leaf of Malva neglecta.

Pet twice as long as the sep; mature carpels rounded and not rugose on the back

I removed the pet and sepal to measure. Pet about 9 mm; sepal about 10 mm. If you leave the parts attached, it appears the petal sticks out of the flower, and it looks like it is longer, leading to confusion.

                An image on the internet gave a great comparison of the regose (wrinkled) look. (https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/flower/common-mallow leading to https://www.minnesotawildflowers.info/udata/r9ndp23q/contrib/Malva-neglecta_Malva-rotundifolia_1-21-13_028-to-032_HF.jpg) [<--- Yes look at that link] I will search for more mature pods later. The specimens I do have, has rounded carpels that are not regose (wrinkled) they are just round.

                -I believe my specimen to be Malva neglecta.

Pet about equaling or only slightly surpassing the sep; mature carpel flat and rugose-reticulate

The last lead…. Descriptions mention both the following are very similar to my specimen.

                Cal only slightly accrescent, not reticulate-veiny; fruiting pedicels mostly more than 10 mm.

                The reticulate-veiny means wrinkled or vein systems. What separates this one from above includes mature carpels (the seed pod “cheese wheel”). This species has 8-11 mm  size carpels at maturity. My specimen is 8 mm, yet possibly not mature. I will have to look for mature carpels later to confirm M. neglecta or M. rotundifolia of which I cite the web comparison above. Then there should not be any question as none of the other species come close. Also the “cheese wheel” center has a 1/3 diameter middle section in M. neglecta; 1/5 in M. rotundifolia. My specimen has the 1/3 look.

                                                -This removes M. rotundifolia.

                Cal strongly accrescent and reticulate-veiny in fr; pedicels mostly less than 10 mm

                                My specimen has pedicels (flower stalk holding stem structure) 2.5 cm long.

                                                -This removes M. parviflora

I conclude I have Malva neglecta growing in my yard.

Latin: Malva neglecta in situ in yardo finis

Citations

Gleason, H. A. and A. Cronquist (2014). Manual of vascular plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. Bronx, NY, The New York Botanical Garden Press.

Do look at the link to the picture within the text. Whoever did that did a great job showing the differences between the two species.

Malva neglecta