Palaua (plant)

Palaua
Palaua rhombifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Malvales
Family: Malvaceae
Subfamily: Malvoideae
Tribe: Malveae
Genus: Palaua
Pav.
Species

See Text

Synonyms
  • Palava Juss.

Palaua is a genus of malvaceous plants native to the Andes. It shares with Malope and Kitaibelia the property of possessing capitate schizocarps, and was formerly classified with them in a subfamily Malopoideae or tribe Malopeae. It is now considered to be more closely related to Sphaeralcea, and to other Andean mallows.

It is native to Peru and northern Chile.

The genus name of Palaua is in honour of Antonio Palau y Verdera (1734–1793), a Spanish naturalist. It was first described and published in Diss. Vol.1 on page 40 in 1785.