COMMON MALLOW
CHEESECAKES
Malva sylvestris
Mallow [Malvaceae] 
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Mallow [Malvaceae]
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flower
flower
inner
morph
petals
stem
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| 16th June 2009, Colwyn Bay, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
| Grows especially near the sea, and it can't get much nearer than this without getting wet feet. |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Grows up to a metre high. |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| A cluster of un-branched stems with flowers on shortish stalks up the stem. |
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| 23rd June 2007, the vast wastelands of Salford, Lancs. | Photo: © RWD |
| Flowers have five lilac coloured petals with mauve coloured veins. |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Un-furled flowers have petals wrapped around forming a cone. Un-like two Tree Mallows which have only three sepals, Common Mallow has five as do many other Mallows. Stems have longish white hairs. |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The petals have a smoothly-curved 'nick' and are distintly asymmetric, like several other five-petalled actinomorphic flowers (such as Lesser Periwinkle, Greater Periwinkle, Water Avens and others). |
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| 31st May 2007, Walney Island, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Like all Mallows, the flowers have a double row of sepals, wide ones cupping te flower or fruit, and a much narrower set behind. Common Mallow, along with many other, but not all Mallows, have five in each row. The leaves often have a dark splodge at the base just like those of Cloudberry (and similar in shape too). |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| The fruits are discs with a torroidal outer (like a Polo mint) plugged with a central darker core, this gives the plant it's nick-name of 'Cheesecake'. They are cupped by the five broad hairy sepals. Leaves are toothed and palmately lobed; upper ones may have a longer central lobe. |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| The petals by transmitted light. Asymmetric 'propellor' type form plainly discernible. |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| A central pillar holds aloft a bunch of stamens with indigo coloured anthers, similar to the way Radio Telescopes have the aerial at the focal point of the paraboloid. |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
| Lilac coloured stamens with indigo coloured anthers bearing white pollen grains. |
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| 26th Aug 2004, Deganwy, North Wales. | Photo: © RWD |
| The leaves are palmately lobed, crinkled, sometimes Ivy-like and with somewhat bluntish teeth. The lime-green discs are un-ripe fruits, or 'cheesecakes'. |
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| 2nd July 2011, Crosby, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
The obverse of the leaf with prominent ribs, a little like those of Lady's Mantle. |
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Some similarities to : some other Uniquely identifiable characteristics Distinguishing Feature : ANY TEXT GOES HERE |
 Malva |
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Mallow [Malvaceae]
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