Malvaviscus
Encyclopedia
Malvaviscus is a genus of flowering plant
s in the mallow
family, Malvaceae
. Common names for species in this genus include Turk's Cap Mallow, Wax Mallow, Sleeping Hibiscus, and Mazapan. It belongs to a group of genera that differ from the closely related Hibiscus
in possessing a fruit
divided into 5 separate parts (a schizocarp
), and having a style
surmounted by 10, rather than 5, capitate or capitellate stigmas
. Among those genera Malvaviscus is distinguished by having auriculate petal
s and red, fleshy fruits.
The generic name is derived from the Latin
words malva, meaning "mallow
," and viscus, which means "sticky," referring to the mucilaginous
sap
produced by members of the genus.
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s in the mallow
Malva
Malva is a genus of about 25–30 species of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae , one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of...
family, Malvaceae
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
. Common names for species in this genus include Turk's Cap Mallow, Wax Mallow, Sleeping Hibiscus, and Mazapan. It belongs to a group of genera that differ from the closely related Hibiscus
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
in possessing a fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
divided into 5 separate parts (a schizocarp
Schizocarp
A schizocarp is a dry fruit that develops from multiple carpels. When mature it splits up into mericarps. Mericarps are often 1-seeded as in, for example, Malva, Malvastrum, and Sida...
), and having a style
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
surmounted by 10, rather than 5, capitate or capitellate stigmas
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
. Among those genera Malvaviscus is distinguished by having auriculate petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s and red, fleshy fruits.
The generic name is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
words malva, meaning "mallow
Malva
Malva is a genus of about 25–30 species of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae , one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of...
," and viscus, which means "sticky," referring to the mucilaginous
Mucilage
Mucilage is a thick, gluey substance produced by most plants and some microorganisms. It is a polar glycoprotein and an exopolysaccharide.It occurs in various parts of nearly all classes of plant, usually in relatively small percentages, and is frequently associated with other substances, such as...
sap
Plant sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. It transports water and nutrients throughout the plant....
produced by members of the genus.
Selected species
- Malvaviscus achanioides (Turcz.Nicolai Stepanovitch TurczaninowPorphir Kiril Nicolai Stepanowitsch Turczaninow was a Ukrainian-Russian botanist who first identified several genera, and many species of plants...
) FryxellPaul FryxellPaul A. Fryxell Paul A. Fryxell Paul A. Fryxell (born 2 February 1927, Moline, Illinois, died July 11, 2011 Claremont, California was an American botanist.He attended Moline public schools and later Augustana College, graduating with a B.A. in 1949, and Iowa State University (M.S., 1951, Ph.D., 1955)... - Malvaviscus arboreusMalvaviscus arboreusMalvaviscus arboreus is a species of flowering plant in the hibiscus family, Malvaceae, that is native to the Southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America. The specific name, arboreus, refers to the tree-like appearance of a mature plant...
Cav.Antonio José CavanillesAntonio José Cavanilles was a leading Spanish taxonomic botanist of the 18th century. He named many plants, particularly from Oceania, his name is abbreviated as Cav...
(Southeastern United StatesSoutheastern United StatesThe Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, CentralCentral AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
)- Malvaviscus arboreus var. arboreus
- Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii (Torr. & A.GrayAsa Gray-References:*Asa Gray. Dictionary of American Biography. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928–1936.*Asa Gray. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.*Asa Gray. Plant Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2001....
) Schery (= Malvaviscus drummondii Torr. & A.Gray) - Malvaviscus arboreus var. mexicanus Schltdl.Diederich Franz Leonhard von SchlechtendalDiederich von Schlechtendal was a German botanist born in Xanten. He was Professor of Botany and Director of the Botanical Gardens at the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg from 1833 until his death in 1866, and Editor of the botanical journal Linnaea.His most important work was in...
- Malvaviscus concinnus Medik.Friedrich Kasimir MedikusFriedrich Kasimir Medikus was a German physician and botanist.He was born at Grambach and became director of the University of Heidelberg and curator of the botanical garden at Mannheim...
- Malvaviscus conzattii Greenm.
- Malvaviscus palmanusMalvaviscus palmanusMalvaviscus palmanus is an understory tree of the Costa Rican cloud forest. It is in height. It grows at elevations of above sea level. Like several other species in its genus, it has large red flowers, which are pollinated by hummingbirds....
PittierHenri François PittierHenri François Pittier was a Swiss-born geographer and botanist, who moved to Costa Rica in 1887, where he founded the Physical Geographic Institute and an herbarium. Henri Pittier National Park in Venezuela is named after him.-References:...
& Donn.Sm.John Donnell SmithCaptain John Donnell Smith of Baltimore, Maryland was a biologist and taxonomist. He was also an officer in the Confederate army.He was a graduate of Yale in 1847, where he was a member of Skull and Bones....
(Costa RicaCosta RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
) - Malvaviscus penduliflorus DC. (=M. arboreus var. penduliflorus (DC.) Schery)
- Malvaviscus williamsii Ulbr.