Malvaceae: Characteristics and Importance of the Family

Table of Contents

• Classification of Malvaceae
• Characteristics of Malvaceae
• Leaves and Stem
• Flowers and Fruits
• Pollination
• Floral Arrangement of Malvaceae
• Importance

Malvaceae, also known as the mallow family, is a group of diverse flowering plants. 244 genera with almost 4225 species are known in this family. The most commonly known members of the family include hibiscus, okra, cotton and cacao.

Classification of Malvaceae

Characteristics of Malvaceae

Leaves and Stem

• The members of the family exist as shrubs or herbaceous plants, while some are also seen in the form of trees or lianas.
• The leaves are borne alternately and are often palmately lobed, or they can also be compound and palmately veined.
• The leaf margin is entire in majority, but some species also have dentate leaf margins.
• Stipules are found at the base of the leafstalk.
• The stems contain mucus canals and mucus cavities.
• Hairs are common on the stem in a stellate, radiating star-like manner.

Flowers and Fruits

• The flowers are borne in either definite or indefinite axillary inflorescence.
• The flowers also bear bracts.
• The flowers can be both unisexual or bisexual.
• The symmetry of the flower is actinomorphic.
• The presence of epicalyx is the characteristic feature of the family.
• They also have nectaries with glandular hairs inside them found on the sepals.
• The fruits are borne in the form of nuts, capsules or schizocarps.

Pollination

• The members majorly undergo cross pollination. Self pollination is avoided by means of protandry (the pollens are shed before the maturity of ovules).
• Pollination is mostly done by insects, i.e. they are entomophilous.

Floral Arrangement of Malvaceae

The floral arrangement of Malvaceae flowers is as follows:

• They have five valvate sepals (gamosepalous),
• Five imbricate petals (polypetalous),
• Stamens can be 5 to numerous in number,
• The pistil is composed of two to numerous carpels,
• The ovary is at the superior position, and
• The placentation is axile.

Importance

The Malvaceae family consists of species that are economically very important. Some of the important species with the products they produce are listed below:

• Gossypium sp. (cotton)
• Corchorus sp. (tossa and white jute)
• Hibiscus sp. (hibiscus)
• Theobroma cacao (cacao)
• Abelmoschus esculentus (okra)
• Cola sp. (kola nut)
• Abelmoschus moschatus (fragrance products)
• Malva sp. (ornamentals)

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Also Read:

• Aestivation: The Floral Arrangement
• Flowers Inflorescence
• Fruit: Formation, Parts and Types