Malva alcea common in drier soils in thickets, along paths and in waste places. Natural hybrids with the closely related "Malva moschata" are occasionally found. In central Europe it grows at altitudes of up to 2,000 m. It has been widely grown outside of its native range as an ornamental plant. Several cultivars exist such as 'Fastigata', an upright form, and 'Alba', a white flowered form. In some areas, such as the northeastern United States, the plant has escaped from cultivation and become naturalised. It is very similar to, and often confused with "Malva moschata". Malva alcea Malva alcea (greater musk-mallow, cut-leaved
Rhodopetala rosea solely on shell characteristics), Lindberg proposed the creation of a new subfamily within the Acmaeidae to be called "Rhodopetaleinae" with this species as its only member. It is distinguished from the other subfamilies of this family by its helcioniform rather than conical shell, a silvery metallic luster in its central area rather than a porcelaneous quality, and the presence of a rudimentary gill lacking ctenidial structures. It is the combination of the shell structure (patellid) and anatomy (acmaeid) which suggest this is an intermediary group between the acmaeid and cellanid limpets. Rhodopetala rosea Rhodopetala rosea, common name the pink limpet,