''Malvella'' is a small genus of flowering plants in the mallow family,

Malvaceae Malvaceae (), or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include Theobroma cacao, cacao, Cola (plant), cola, cotton, okra, Hibiscus sabdariffa, ...

. There are four species, one native to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

, and three native to the

southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural list of regions of the United States, region of the United States that includes Arizona and New Mexico, along with adjacen ...

and

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. The plants were formerly classified in genus '' Sida''.

Description

These are generally perennial herbs, sometimes annual, growing in a prostrate or decumbent form. They are coated with star-shaped or scaly hairs. The silvery-haired leaves have asymmetrical blades. Flowers grow singly in the leaf axils. They are whitish or yellow, fading pink. The fruit is a capsule with 7 to 10 segments that do not break apart.

Species

Species include:''Malvella''.
Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). *'' Malvella lepidota'' – scurfy mallow *'' Malvella leprosa'' – alkali mallow *'' Malvella sagittifolia'' – arrowleaf mallow *'' Malvella sherardiana''

References

Malveae Malvaceae genera {{Malveae-stub