Prostrate annual, stems to c. 1 m long. Leaves ± orbicular, cordate at base, c. 2–6 cm long and wide, entire or very shallowly 5-lobed, margins crenate or toothed, surfaces downy, upper with simple hairs, lower with denser, mainly stellate hairs. Epicalyx-lobes linear, 3–5 mm long, attached at base of calyx; calyx-lobes acute, divided to c. midway, 5–7 mm long; petals c. 2–2.5 times as long as calyx, pink to white. Fruit 5–8 mm diam., fruiting calyx slightly enlarged with lobes erect to slightly incurved, mericarps c. 15, smooth, rounded dorsally, adjacent margins ± smooth, appearing as broad radiating grooves on entire fruit, glabrous to densely short-hispid. Flowers mainly Oct.–May.
VVP, VRiv, GipP, OtP, Gold, CVU, NIS, EGL, EGU, HSF, HNF, MonT. Also naturalised NSW, ACT, Tas. Native to Europe, north-west Africa, south-west Asia. Moderately common on fertile, well-watered sites (gardens, pastures, roadsides, stockyards etc.).
Source:
Walsh, N.G. (1996). Malva. In: Walsh, N.G.; Entwisle, T.J., Flora of Victoria Vol. 3, Dicotyledons Winteraceae to Myrtaceae, pp. 347–349. Inkata Press, Melbourne.
