mallow family

mallow family
the plant family Malvaceae, characterized by herbaceous plants, shrubs, and trees having palmately veined, lobed, or compound leaves, sticky juice, often showy five-petaled flowers with stamens united in a column, and fruit in the form of a capsule with several divisions, and including the cotton plant, hibiscus, hollyhock, mallow, okra, and rose of Sharon.

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Family Malvaceae (order Malvales), which contains about 95 genera of herbs, shrubs, and small trees.

Mallow species occur in all but the coldest parts of the world, but they are most numerous in the tropics. Hairs that branch into starlike patterns commonly cover some or most vegetative (nonflower) parts of these plants. The flowers are regular and often showy. Cotton is the most important member of the family economically. The green fruits of okra are edible. Many species are valued as ornamentals, including hollyhock and rose of Sharon.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • mallow family — n. (Bot.) The natural family {Malvaceae}, a dilleniid dicot family consisting of herbs and shrubs and some trees, and including the mallows, cotton, and okra. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mallow family — noun herbs and shrubs and some trees: mallows; cotton; okra • Syn: ↑Malvaceae, ↑family Malvaceae • Hypernyms: ↑dilleniid dicot family • Member Holonyms: ↑Malvales, ↑order Malvales …   Useful english dictionary

  • mallow family — Malvaceae Malvaceae prop. n. A natural family of herbs and shrubs and some trees, including the mallows, cotton, and okra; the {mallow family}. Syn: family {Malvaceae}, mallow family. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • mallow — [mal′ō] n. [ME malwe < OE mealuwe < L malva (> Ger malve, Fr mauve): see MALACHITE] 1. any of a genus (Malva) of plants of the mallow family, with dissected or lobed leaves 2. any of various other plants of the mallow family, as the… …   English World dictionary

  • mallow — /mal oh/, n. any of various plants of the genus Malva, including several popular garden plants, as the musk mallow. [bef. 1000; ME malue, OE mealwe < L malva] * * * ▪ plant       any of several flowering plants in the hibiscus, or mallow, family… …   Universalium

  • mallow rose — noun : rose mallow 1 * * * a rose mallow of the genus Hibiscus. [1830 40] * * * mallow rose, any one of certain plants of the mallow family having rose colored flowers …   Useful english dictionary

  • family Malvaceae — noun herbs and shrubs and some trees: mallows; cotton; okra • Syn: ↑Malvaceae, ↑mallow family • Hypernyms: ↑dilleniid dicot family • Member Holonyms: ↑Malvales, ↑order Malvales …   Useful english dictionary

  • mallow — noun Etymology: Middle English malwe, from Old English mealwe, from Latin malva Date: before 12th century any of a genus (Malva of the family Malvaceae, the mallow family) of herbs with palmately lobed or dissected leaves, usually showy flowers,… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • family — /fam euh lee, fam lee/, n., pl. families, adj. n. 1. parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not. 2. the children of one person or one couple collectively: We want a large family. 3. the spouse and children …   Universalium

  • Mallow — or Mallows may refer to: Nature Malvaceae, family of plants; in particular the following genera: Abelmoschus Althaea (genus) – Marsh mallow Callirhoe – Poppy mallow Corchorus – Jews Mallow, Molokia, Mlukhia Hibiscus – Rosemallow Kosteletzkya –… …   Wikipedia

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