Malva multiflora | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malvales |
Family: | Malvaceae |
Genus: | Malva |
Species: | M. multiflora |
Binomial name | |
Malva multiflora (Cav.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso | |
Synonyms[1] | |
List
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Malva multiflora (previously known as Lavatera cretica) is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names Cornish mallow and Cretan hollyhock. It is native to western Europe, North Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin, and it is naturalized in areas with a Mediterranean climate, such as parts of Australia, South Africa, and California. This is an annual or biennial herb growing a tough, somewhat hairy stem to a maximum height between 1 and 3 meters. The leaves are multilobed with flat or wavy edges, slightly hairy, and up to 10 centimeters long. The plant bears small pink or light purple flowers with petals just over a centimeter long. The fruit is disc-shaped with 7 to 10 segments.
Leaf laminas of Malva multiflora can track solar position throughout the day and turn to face the sunrise, behavior that anticipates the future, despite lacking a central nervous system.[2][3]
References
- ↑ "Malva multiflora (Cav.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ↑ Schwartz, A; Koller, D (1986). "Diurnal Phototropism in Solar Tracking Leaves of Lavatera cretica". Plant Physiology. 80 (3): 778–781. doi:10.1104/pp.80.3.778. PMC 1075199. PMID 16664701.
- ↑
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