Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Malvales

Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae - Hibiscus subfamily

Exell, A.W. (1961) Malvaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2)

Description of the family

Herbs, shrubs or trees, usually with stellate hairs. Stipules present. Leaves alternate, often palmately divided. Flowers bisexual (rarely unisexual [in ours?]), actinomorphic. Epicalyx usually present, sometimes 0. Calyx (3-)5-lobed, truncate or occasionally 5- to 10-toothed. Petals 5, free. Stamens numerous, united in a tube surrounding the style. Anthers 1-thecous. Ovary superior, (1-)2-many-locular. Style often branched at apex. Fruit (in ours) either a dehiscent capsule or a schizocarp (composed of a number of mericarps arranged around a central axis).

Comment: According to the most recent taxonomic research by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG-III), Malvaceae sensu lato now includes Bombacaceae, Tiliaceae and Sterculiaceae, three families traditionally considered separate but closely related. In this new concept Malvaceae would consist of the following nine subfamilies:

Byttnerioideae (formerly part of Sterculiaceae, including Hermannia, Melochia and Waltheria)
Grewioideae (formerly part of Tiliaceae including all our regional genera)
Sterculioideae (formerly part of , including Cola and Sterculia)
Tilioideae (formerly part of Tiliaceae Not in our region)
Dombeyoideae (formerly part of Sterculiaceae, including Dombeya and Melhania)
Brownlowioideae (formerly part of Tiliaceae Not in our region)
Helicteroideae (formerly part of Sterculiaceae, including Triplochiton)
Malvoideae (formerly Malvaceae sensu stricto
Bombacoideae (formerly Bombacaceae)

Worldwide: 78 genera and 1,670 species, cosmopolitan but especially in the tropics.

Zimbabwe: 10 cultivated genera and 19 cultivated taxa.

No image of a cultivated species but there is an image of a native or naturalised species

Links to cultivated genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Abelmoschus Medik.Description
Abutilon Mill.Description
Alcea L.Description, Image
Azanza Alef.Description
Gossypium L.Description, Image
Hibiscus L.Description
Lagunaria (DC.) Rchb.Description, Image
Malva L.Description, Image
Malvaviscus Fabr.Description, Image
Thespesia Sol. ex CorrĂȘaDescription

Other sources of information about Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae:

Our websites:

Flora of Botswana: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Caprivi: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Malawi: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Mozambique: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Zambia: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
JSTOR Plant Science: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Wikipedia: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Plants of the World Online: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Tropicos: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae



Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2002-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Zimbabwe: Cultivated plants: Family page: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae.
https://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/cult/family.php?family_id=131, retrieved 19 March 2024

Site software last modified: 10 August 2019 10:35pm (GMT +2)
Terms of use