The Malvaceae family, commonly known as the mallow family, comprises 244 genera and approximately 4,225 species, including notable examples such as Gossypium herbaceum (asiatic cotton) and Abelmoschus esculentus (okra). These plants display diverse characteristics, including herbaceous or woody stems, stipulate leaves, and a hermaphrodite flower structure, with economic importance ranging from fibers and food crops to ornamental uses. The family is distinguished by its mucilaginous sap and stellate hairs.

1. FAMILY MALVACEAE
Malvaceae is commonly known as the mallow
family
244 genera with almost 4225 specie
Member:
Gossypium herbaceum : asiatic
cotton
Abelmoschus esculentus :
mushkdana
Althaea rosea : gulekhera
Abutilon asiaticum : kanghi

2. Vegetative characters
• Habitat: herbs, shrubs , trees
mucilaginous sap
• Stem: Herbaceous or woody(erect,
aerial),branched, cylinderical
• Leaves: simple,alternate ,round or
palmately divided, stipulate
• Root: Branched tap root system

3. Distinguishing characters:
• Habit : plants herb,shrubs or tree with stellate hairs and
mucilage juice
• Leaves : alternate, stipulate
• Flower: regular, hermaphrodite, pentamerous with an
epicalyx
• Calyx: velvate,free or united
• Corolla : free,twisted or imbricate
• Stamens: indefinite, monadelphous, anthers monothecous
(1 celled)
• Carples: 1_ many ,often 5 superior multilocular
• Fruit : a capsule or schizocarpic

4. Floral characters
• Inflorescence: Cymose, rarely racemose
• Flower: pedicellate,bracteolate, actinomorphic
hermaphrodite, complete, hypogynous
• Fruit: Loculicidal capsule or schizocarpict
• Seed: not endospermic, buried in testa
• Calyx: 5 gamosepalous, seploid, inferior
• Corolla: 5 polypetalous,united to staminal tube
at base inferior
• Androecium: indefinite,arranged on staminal
tube, monadelphous, epipetalous
• Gynoecium: 5 indefinite,polycarpellary,
syncarpous,ovary , superior, multilocular

5. Economic importance
• Fibres(gossiypium herbaceum etc) and wood
products
• Food crops( Abelmoschus esculentus (bhindi)etc )
• Fragnance
• Ornamental ( hisbiscus Rosa sineenisis etc)