Indian Mallow is an erect velvety-pubescent shrub with circular-ovate or
heart-shaped leaves with coarsely crenate-serrate margins. The plant can
reach up to 1-2 m. The leaves are alternately arranged, and have long
stalks and have velvety, soft, pale hairs on them. Orange-yellow flowers,
2-3 cm across, occur solitary in axils, on long stalks, 4-7 cm.
Orange-yellow petals are triangular-obovate, 1 cm long or slightly more,
staminal-tube hairy with stellate hairs. Fruit is quite interesting - it is
circular in shape, consisting of 11-20 radiating hairy carpels, brown when
dry; each carpel flattened, somewhat boatshaped. Seeds are kidney-shaped.
The plant is a weed commonly found on disturbed land.
Flowering: September-April.
Medicinal uses: Extract of water-soaked dried seeds is used as purgative. Leaves are used as tonic. Roots are taken as infusion in fever.
Identification credit: Tabish
Photographed at Okhla Pakshi Vihar, Delhi.
• Is this flower misidentified?
If yes,
Your name: Your email: Your comments
The flower labeled Indian Mallow is ...