Senra incana - Desert Mallow

Desert Mallow is an erect or spreading, much branched velvety herb. Flowers are generally violet-purple, but can be pale to almost white, with dark purple centre. Petals are 5, 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1-1.5 cm broad, obovate, minutely clawed and hyaline. Staminal tube does not protrude out, half the length of petals. Sepal-cup is bell-shaped, 4-6 mm long, slightly enlarged in fruit, 5 mm across, velvet-hairy, persistent; sepals triangular, pointed, 1.5-2 mm long and broad. Flower-stalks are 0.5-2 cm long, usually jointed; bracts 1.5-2.5 cm long, 1.5-2 cm broad, persistent. Leaves are 2-4 cm long, 2-3.5 cm broad, pointed, generally sawtoothed, upper surface darker than lower, somewhat flat to deeply heart-shaped at base; palmately 5-9 nerved, commonly 3 lobed; lobes triangular. Leaf-stalks are 2-4 cm long; stipule thread-like, about 2 mm long. Capsule about 6 mm long, about 5 mm across, ovoid or somewhat spherical, netveined, membranous, 5 ribbed, valves slightly winged. Seeds 2 mm long, 1 mm broad. Desert Mallow is found in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Pakistan, Kenya, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Socotra, Somalia, Sudan-South Sudan, Yemen.