Spermatophyta: Dicotyledonae: Archichlamydeae: Malvales

Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae - Hibiscus subfamily

Exell, A.W. (1961) Malvaceae Flora Zambesiaca 1(2)

Hauman, L. (1963) Malvaceae Flore du Congo du Ruanda et du Burundi Volume X 92-190

Description of the family

Herbs, shrubs or trees, usually with stellate hairs. Stipules present. Leaves alternate, often palmately divided. Flowers bisexual (rarely unisexual [in ours?]), actinomorphic. Epicalyx usually present, sometimes 0. Calyx (3-)5-lobed, truncate or occasionally 5- to 10-toothed. Petals 5, free. Stamens numerous, united in a tube surrounding the style. Anthers 1-thecous. Ovary superior, (1-)2-many-locular. Style often branched at apex. Fruit (in ours) either a dehiscent capsule or a schizocarp (composed of a number of mericarps arranged around a central axis).

Worldwide: 78 genera and 1,670 species, cosmopolitan but especially in the tropics.

Uganda: 5 genera and 13 taxa.

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Links to genera:     View: living plant images - herbarium specimen images - all images for this family

GenusContent
Abelmoschus Medik.Description
Abutilon Mill.Description
Gossypium L.Description
Hibiscus L.Description
Sida L.Description

Other sources of information about Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae:

Our websites:

Flora of Angola: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Botswana: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Burundi: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Caprivi: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of the DRC: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of the DRC: cultivated Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Kenya: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Malawi: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Mozambique: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Mozambique: cultivated Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Rwanda: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Tanzania: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Zambia: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Zimbabwe: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
JSTOR Plant Science: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Wikipedia: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Plants of the World Online: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae
Tropicos: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae

Copyright: The Uganda flora team, 2026

The Uganda flora team (2026). Flora of Uganda: Family page: Malvaceae subfamily Malvoideae.
https://www.ugandaflora.com/speciesdata/family.php?family_id=131, retrieved 6 September 2026

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