**Lavatera cretica L. (Malvaceae)**

**Cretan Lavatera**

**Description**. Herbaceous annual or biennial; stems 1-5 dm tall,
sometimes semi-woody at the base. Leaves alternate, stipulate, stipules
5-8 mm long, the petioles 5 to 20 cm long, stellate-puberulent, the
blades 4 to 15 cm long and wide, round in outline, 5-lobed, with palmate
venation, minutely stellate-pubescent, sometimes becoming glabrous, base
truncate to subcordate, margins toothed, apices acute to obtuse. Flowers
radial, in axillary clusters, each subtended by 3 ovate bracts, 4-10 mm
long, 3-6 mm wide; calyx of 5 fused sepals, the tube 5-6 mm wide,
enlarging in fruit, the lobes ovate and acute; corolla of 5 petals fused
at the base, petals 10-15 mm long, narrowly obovate, white, often tinged
with pink or lavender, the apices notched; stamens many, fused into a
tube surrounding the style; ovary superior, style exserted, with 8 to 12
stigmatic branches. Fruit disk-like, composed of 7 to 12 segments that
break apart at maturity, each segment 3-4 mm long, the dorsal surface
smooth to reticulate, the lateral surfaces somewhat reticulate. In
California, flowering from May to September. (Fernandes 1968, Hill 1993,
Munz 1959, Wiggins 1951).

**Note**: The closest relative of *Lavatera cretica* appears to be
*Malva nicaensis* All., rather than other species of *Lavatera* (in the
strict sense according to Ray 1995, 1998).

**Geographic distribution**. A native of western and Mediterranean
Europe, *Lavatera* *cretica* has become naturalized in California,
Australia, New Zealand, and southern Africa (Arnold and de Wet 1993,
Chapman 1991, Munz 1959, Webb et al. 1988).

It presumably was widely distributed throughout the San Francisco Bay
region by the end of the 19th century (Robbins 1940). *Lavatera cretica*
has been reported from Anacapa and Santa Rosa islands (Junak et al.
1997) and occurs in most central and southern California coastal
counties (Anonymous 1998, Hill 1993).

**Reproductive and vegetative biology**. No literature pertinent to the
reproductive and vegetative biology of *Lavatera cretica* and related
species was found. However, like other weedy Malvaceae, these species
presumably are self-compatible, partly self-pollinating, and visited by
small bees and flies (Faegri and van der Pijl 1979, Proctor et al.
1996).

**Ecological distribution**. *Lavatera cretica* has been reported to
occur on disturbed sites, dunes, roadsides, and fallow fields (Fernandes
1968, Hill 1993, Munz 1959, Webb et al. 1988, Wiggins 1951).

**Weed status.** *Lavatra cretica* is not considered a noxious weed in
agricultural or horticultural practice, at least at a global level (not
listed by Holm et al. 1977), nor is it considered a noxious weed by the
State Dept. of Food and Agriculture (Anonymous 1996). It is not listed
for the United States in Lorenzi and Jeffery (1987). In northern Africa,
it has been harvested as an edible plant (Tanji and Nassif 1995).

**Microbial and insectathogens**. No literature was found that reported
*Lavatera* as a host of detrimental microbial or insect pathogens.

**Herbicide** **control**. No literature was found pertinent to
herbicidal control. However, because of the strong relationship to
*Malva* (Ray 1995, 1998), treatments prescribed for *Malva parviflora*
and related species by Lorenzi and Jeffery (1987) may be appropriate.

**Literature Cited**

Anonymous. 1996. Exotic pest plants of greatest ecological concern in
California as of August 1996. California Exotic Pest Plant Council. 8
pp.

Anonymous. 1998. California county flora database version 2, Santa
Barbara Botanic Garden and USDA National Plants Data Center, Santa
Barbara and New Orleans. URL = plants.usda.gov

Arnold, T. and B. de Wet. 1993. Memoir 62. Plants of southern Africa:
names and distribution. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria. 825 pp.

Chapman, A. 1991. Australian plant name index. K-P. Australian
Government Publishing Service, Canberra. pp. 1711-2495.

Faegri, K. and L. van der Pijl. 1966. The principles of pollination
biology. Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK.

Fernandes, R. 1968. *Lavatera*. pp. 251-253. In Tutin et al. 1968. Flora
Europaea. Volume 2. Rosaceae to Umbelliferae. Camrbidge University
Press, Cambridge. 455 pp.

Hill, S. 1993. *Lavatera*. p. 751. In In Hickman, J. (ed.). The Jepson
manual: Vascular plants of California. University of California Press,
Berkeley. 1400 pp.

Holm, L., D. Plucknett, J. Pancho, and J. Herberger. 1977. The world's
worst weeds: distribution and ecology. University Press of Hawaii,
Honolulu. 609 pp.

Junak, S., S. Chaney, R. Philbrick, and R. Clark. 1997. A checklist of
vascular plants of Channel Islands National Park. Southwest Parks and
Monuments Association, Tucson, AZ. 43 pp.

Lorenzi, H. and L. Jeffery. 1987. Weeds of the United States and their
control. Van Nostrand Company, New York. 355 pp.

Munz, P. 1959. A flora of California. University of California Press,
Berkeley. 1681 pp.

Proctor, M. P. Yeo, and A. Lack. 1996. The natural history of
pollination. Timber Press, Portland, Oregon. 479 pp.

Ray, M. 1995. Systematics of *Lavatera* and *Malva* (Malvaceae,
Malveae) - a new perspective. Plant Systematics and Evolution 198:
29-53.

Ray, M. 1998. New combinations in *Malva* (Malvaceae: Malveae). Novon 8:
288-295.

Robbins, W. 1940. Alien plants growing without cultivation in
California. Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 637. University of
California, Berkeley. 128 pp.

Tanji, A and F. Nassif. 1995. Edible weeds in Morocco. Weed Technology.
9: 617-620.

Webb, C., W. Sykes, and P. Garnock-Jones. 1988. Flora of New Zealand.
Volume 4. Naturalized pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons.
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Wiggins, I. 1951. Malvaceae. pp. 82-112. In Abrams, L. Illustrated flora
of the Pacific states. Volume 3. Geraniaceae to Scrophulariaceae.
Standford University Press, Stanford, California. 866 pp.