list of economically important members of the family Malvaceae
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Thank you for your feedback
Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.
The mallow family (Malvaceae) is a diverse group of flowering plants distributed nearly worldwide. Noted for their attractive flowers, many are grown as garden ornamentals, and a number are cultivated for their useful fibres. The following is a list of some of the major plants in the family, ordered alphabetically by common name.
fibres and wood products
- balsa (Ochroma pyramidale)
- basswood (Tilia americana)
- bombax cotton (Bombax species)
- Ceiba species
- kapok (C. pentandra)
- silk-floss tree (C. speciosa)
- Corchorus species
- white jute (C. capsularis)
- tossa jute (C. olitorius)
- cotton (Gossypium species)
- urena (Urena lobata)
- velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)
food crops
- cacao (Theobroma cacao)
- Cola species
- kola nut (C. acuminata and C. nitida)
- durian (Durio zibethinus)
- okra (Abelmoschus esculentus)
- tossa jute (Corchorus olitorius)
fragrances
- musk mallow (Abelmoschus moschatus)
ornamentals
- Ceiba species
- silk-floss tree (C. speciosa)
- Chinese parasol tree (Firmiana simplex)
- flannelbush (Fremontodendron species)
- hibiscus (Hibiscus species)
- rose of Sharon (H. syriacus)
- hollyhock (Alcea rosea)
- honey bell (Hermannia verticillata)
- mallow (Malva species)
- musk mallow (M. moschata)
- tree mallow (M. aborea)
- sugarplum tree (Lagunaria patersoni)