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Ceylon Swamp Mallow
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Ceylon Swamp Mallow
ative Photo: Tabish
Common name: Ceylon Swamp Mallow • Tamil: Sevagan, Mammatti, Sittamutti • Telugu: Peramutti, Karubenda • Kannada: Topala, ಬಲರಾಕ್ಷಸಿ Balarakshasi, ಅಂಟುತೊಗರಿ Antutogari, ಬಲರಾಕ್ಷಿ Balaraakshi, ಬಲರಕ್ಕಸಿ Balarakkasi
Botanical name: Pavonia zeylanica    Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family)

Ceylon Swamp Mallow is a profusely branched, bristly, large herb, growing up to 1-1.5 m tall. 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. Ceylon Swamp Mallow is found in Srilanka, India, Pakistan, S.E. Arabia, Tropical Africa and mauritius.

Identification credit: Sankara Rao Photographed at Devanhalli, Karnataka.

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