Malva punctata (All.) Alef. (syn.: Lavatera punctata All.) (Medit., SW As.) – A very rare and ephemeral alien with uncertain vector of introduction. In the past only collected once, in 1918 (Verloove 2006). A single individual was observed on the border of river Schelde in Ruien (Avelgem) in 2018. The plant appeared after infrastructural works. In the same area and in identical circumstances other exceptional aliens like Cucumis dipsaceus and C. myriocarpus were observed, also of unknown provenance. In 2019 two individuals were observed on rough ground in Boom.
In the British Isles Malva punctata has been associated with grain and wool (Clement & Foster 1994). It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental.
Malva punctata is rather similar to M. thuringiaca. Both have solitary flowers with showy petals and are similar in leaf characters as well. M. punctata, however, is clearly herbaceous, and less hairy. Although annual or biennial it can grow tall and is often divaricately branched with long fruiting peduncles. It always has fewer mericarps (ca. 14) and these are transversely wrinkled at maturity.
Selected references
Clement E.J. & Foster M.C. (1994) Alien plants of the British Isles. BSBI, London: XVIII + 590 p.
Fernandes R.B. (1968) Contribuçoes para o conhecimento do género Lavatera L. I. Notas sobre algumas espécies. Collectanea Botanica 7: 393-448.
Verloove F. (2006) Catalogue of neophytes in Belgium (1800-2005). Scripta Botanica Belgica 39: 89 p. [available online at: http://alienplantsbelgium.be/sites/alienplantsbelgium.be/files/tabel_2.pdf]