Texas Gardening: Texas Native Plant Pictures by color ( Other & Bicolor ), 0 by htop

htop wrote:
Cheeseweed Mallow, Little Mallow, Small-flowered Mallow (Malva parviflora), Malvaceae Family, naturalized, annual/biennial/perennial, blooms late winter through mid-spring, considered a weed by many

Cheeseweed mallow can grow in semi-shade, such as a light woodland area, or full sun.. It requires moist soil, but is noit picky about soil type nor soil pH. Its foliage is a beautiful deep green and the leaves have a lovely shape having 5 to 7 toothed, rounded lobes. The .25 inch wide bloom is may be white, pale blue-lilac or pale pink. They are hermaphroditic (having both male and female organs). The flowers emerge from the leaf axils are are not easilt seen unless you are looking for them. The fruits are disk-shaped, wrinkled and have sections. They resemble a sliced wheel of cheese; hence, one of the plant's common names, "cheeseweed". This "weed" is very attractive and obviously needs no care, but it requires a large space in which to grow. In addition, rabbits don't eat it (don't know about deer). Sow seed in early spring in situ.

The leaves and seed are edible. The leaves may be eaten raw or cooked as a potherb. Some people use the leaves as a sustitute for lettuce. They have a pleasant mild taste. IImmature seeds may be eaten raw or cooked and they are used to make a creamed vegetable soup similar to pea soup with a few leaves thrown in for coloring. Because the seeds are so small, not many people bother with collecting them. They have a nut-like flavor.

A hair rinse to remove dandruff and to soften the hair has been made from the leaves and roots. Cream, green and yellow dyes can be produced from the plant and the seed heads. The whole plant has been employed as a poultice on swellings, running sores and boils.

Caution: This plant is listed as a poisonous plant in the PlantFiles which is a bit misleading. Many crop and weed plants accumulate nitrate to potentially toxic concentrations when growing under certain adverse environmental conditions such as drought. The following weeds are nitrate-accumulating: pigweed (Amaranthus spp.), lambsquarter (Chenopodium spp.), dock (Rumex spp.) and nightshades (Solanum spp.). The following c rop plants are nitrate-accumulating: corn, sorghum, oats, barley, beet tops and wheat. Fertilizers containn itrate and it is a common contaminant of water. If exposure ito these sources is of a sufficient amount, nitrate intoxication can occur. Soooo, watch what you eat and know from where it has come.

Distribution:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/county?state_name=Texas&statefip...

For more information, see its entry in the PlantFiles:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/64033/index.html

The 1/4 of an inch bloom: