Ceylon swamp mallow

Appearance

Stem, leaf- and flower-stalks are covered with hairs. Leaves are 1.5-3 cm long, 1-2.5 cm broad. Upper leaves are lance-shaped to ovate, entire. Lower ones are usually 3-lobed - lobes oblong or obovate, entire or irregularly toothed, middle one longest. Leaves are shallowly heart-shaped at the base, surface usually hairy. Leaf stalks are 1-4.5 cm long. Flowers occur singly in leaf axils. Flower stalk is 2-4 cm long. Sepal-like bracts are 8-11, 1-1.3 cm long, filament-like, hairy. Sepals are lance-shaped. Flowers are 1.5 cm long, pink. Fruit is 5 mm across, velvety, spherical.

Naming

Synonyms
Pavonia zeylanica var. afro-arabica Cuf.
Pavonia rulingioides Ulbr.
Pavonia paolii Mattei
Pavonia digitata Hochst. ex Chiov.
Parita zeylanicus Scop.
Malache zeylanica Kuntze
Hibiscus zeylanicus Linné
Hibiscus arenarius Scop.
Diplopenta pedunculosa Alef.
Cancellaria zeylanica Mattei

Distribution

Pavonia zeylanica is found in Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, S.E. Arabia, Tropical Africa and Mauritius.