Malva arborea
(L.) Webb & Berthel.Erect perennial to c. 3.5 m high. Leaves shallowly palmately 5–7-lobed, 2–20 cm long and wide, broadly cordate at base, margins crenate, surfaces sparsely hispid to subvelutinous with stellate (sometimes also forked or simple) hairs. Epicalyx-lobes broadly ovate, 5–10 mm long at anthesis, rounded to obtuse, enlarging to 15 mm or more and spreading in fruit; calyx c. half as long as epicalyx, the lobes incurved and largely concealing fruit; petals 12–22 mm long, magenta to purple with darker veins and often darker near base. Fruit c. 1 cm diam., mericarps c. 7, reticulate or transversely ridged, glabrous, adjacent margins acute to slightly winged. Flowers Sep.–Jan.
MuM, VVP, GipP, OtP, WaP, Gold, CVU, EGL, WPro, HSF. Also naturalised WA, SA, NSW, Tas. Occurs chiefly near the coast, occasionally appearing as a garden weed in Melbourne suburbs.
Malva arborea poses a threat to the rare native M. preissiana across its range, through hybridisation and competition (Conran et. al. 2012). In Victoria hybrids have been collected from Mud Islands.
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Lavatera. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 349–350. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
