Cornish mallow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cornish mallow |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Malva
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| Species: |
multiflora
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List
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Malva multiflora is a pretty flowering plant. It's often called the Cornish mallow or Cretan hollyhock. This plant belongs to the mallow family. You can find it naturally growing in places like western Europe, North Africa, and around the Mediterranean Basin. It has also spread and grown wild in other areas with a similar sunny, dry climate. These places include parts of Australia, South Africa, and California.
About the Cornish Mallow
This plant is usually an annual or biennial herb. This means it lives for one or two years. It grows a strong stem that can be a bit hairy. This stem can reach a height of 1 to 3 meters, which is quite tall!
What Does It Look Like?
The leaves of the Cornish mallow have many lobes. Their edges can be flat or slightly wavy. They are also a little hairy and can grow up to 10 centimeters long.
The plant produces small flowers. These flowers are usually pink or light purple. Each petal is a little over a centimeter long. After the flowers, the plant makes disc-shaped fruits. These fruits have 7 to 10 small sections.
A Plant That Follows the Sun
One amazing thing about the Cornish mallow is how its leaves move. The leaves can actually track the sun's position throughout the day. They even turn to face where the sun will rise in the morning! This behavior helps the plant get as much sunlight as possible. It's quite clever for a plant that doesn't have a brain!
See also
In Spanish: Lavatera cretica para niños
