Changes

:Chromosome number: ''x''= 7;''M. capitata'': 2''n''= 56;''M. fasciata'': 2''n''= c. 112

The bast fibre of ''M. capitata'' and ''M. fasciata'' is utilized in the Philippines for making strong rope, suitable for clotheslines and general purposes. The fibre of ''M. capitata'' is also suitable for use in coarse textiles, e.g. for sacks. It can be used as a substitute for jute ( ''Corchorus'' spp.) in some applications or in admixture with jute.

*Annual or subperennial herbs, often partly woody, often with prickly hairs. *Leaves alternate, simple, palmatilobed to palmatifid, stipules narrow. *Inflorescence axillary, head-like, with bisexual flowers in axils of large, cordate, involucral bracts; peduncle usually long, pedicel extremely short; epicalyx usually absent; calyx small, cupular, often with 5 aristate segments; corolla small, petals 5, red, yellow or white; staminal column usually shorter than petals, antheriferous throughout; carpels 5, each with one ovule, style above the middle divided into 10 arms, stigmas capitate, papillose. *Fruit a reversed pear-shaped schizocarp, mericarps triangular-subovoid, with convex dorsal side, reticulately veined, indehiscent, 1-seeded. *Seed in form and size about similar to the mericarps.

* === ''M. Malachra capitata'' ===''[[Malachra capitata]]'' . An erect annual or perennial woody herb, up to 2 m tall, green parts with scattered, stiff, simple hairs and stiff, 2-armed, stellate hairs, prickly, about 2 mm long, for the rest densely covered with small many-armed stellate hairs. Leaves with petiole up to 9 cm long; stipules filiform, up to 1.5 cm long, hispid; blade orbicular to ovate, angular or slightly lobed, 2-9 cm in diameter, base cordate and 5-veined, margin crenate to serrate, apex obtuse to rounded, both sides densely clothed with grey, stellate hairs, glabrescent. Inflorescence a 2-10-flowered head; peduncle 1-5 cm long,; bracts 3-4, ovate to circular, 0.5-2 cm in diameter, folded along the midrib; calyx cup 3.5 mm long, segments oblong, 3 mm × 1.5 mm, obtuse, not aristate; corolla 1-1.5 cm in diameter, bright yellow, petals obovate; staminal column 3 mm long. Fruit 5-6 mm in diameter, mericarps 3 mm × 2 mm. Seed triangular-obovoid, 2.5 mm long, grey, densely stellate-hairy.

– === ''M. Malachra fasciata'' ===''[[Malachra fasciata]]'' . An erect annual woody herb, up to 2.5 m tall, green parts covered only with stiff simple hairs about 3.5 mm long, usually without minute stellate hairs. Leaves with petiole up to 12 cm long; stipules filiform, 2-3 cm long, ciliate with stiff hairs; blade circular to ovate, 3-15 cm × 2-14 cm, base rounded to shallowly cordate, 5-veined, margin coarsely serrate to crenate, apex 3-5-lobed or deeply 3-5-7-parted, both sides with scattered, appressed, simple hairs. Inflorescence a 6-9-flowered head; peduncle up to 1.5 cm long; bracts 3-4, triangular, 1-2.5 cm × 0.5-2 cm, folded along the midrib; calyx cup 4 mm long, segments ovate-acute-aristate, 2.5 mm × 1.5 mm; corolla 1-1.5 cm in diameter, white but turning red finally, petals obovate; staminal column 3 mm long. Fruit 3-4 mm in diameter, mericarps obovoid, 2.5-3 mm × 1.5-2 mm. Seed triangular-obovoid, about 2.5 mm long, black, glabrous but hilum stellate-hairy.

''M. capitata'' and ''M. fasciata'' are closely allied, which is reflected in the overlap of their vernacular names in the Philippines, where both are known under the names "paang-baliwis" and "bakembakes". Sometimes ''M. alceifolia'' , here a synonym of ''M. capitata'' , is considered as a distinct species because its indumentum not only consists of minute stellate hairs as in typical ''M. capitata'' , but also of stiff, prickly, simple and stellate hairs. Differences in hairiness, which is a highly variable character depending mainly on circumstances, has led to numerous subclassifications without practical value.

''Malachra'' L. is in need of a new taxonomic revision, as the last one of Gürke (1892) is badly out of date.

''M. capitata'' is a host plant of zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV), a virus causing much trouble in melon ( ''Cucumis melo'' L.) and cucumber ( ''Cucumis sativus'' L.).

 '''1''' Basu*Basu, N.C. & Bose, S., 1975. Effect of sowing time on the growth and yield of Malachra capitata L. Indian Journal of Agricultural Research 9(1): 43-50. '''2''' Basu*Basu, N.C. & Chakravarty, K., 1968. Malachra capitata L., with some special reference to its growth, yield attributes and some physical aspects of its fibre. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 38(3): 550-561. '''3''' King*King, A.E.W., 1919. The mechanical properties of Philippine bast-fiber ropes. The Philippine Journal of Science 14(6): 561-694. '''4''' Maiti*Maiti, R.K. & Basu, N.C., 1968. Fibre anatomy of Malachra capitata L., with special reference to its ultimate fibre and fibre tenacity. Indian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 38(4): 724-729. '''5''' Ragasa*Ragasa, C.Y., Peñalosa, B.A. & Rideout, J.A., 1998. A bioactive dipeptide derivative from Malachra fasciata (Malvaceae). Philippine Journal of Science 127(4): 267-276. '''6''' van *van Borssum Waalkes, J., 1966. Malesian Malvaceae revised. Blumea 4(1): 1-213.