Alcea L.

Hollyhock

Greek alkea—the mallow.

Biennial, perennial or occasionally annual, mostly unbranched herbs. Leaves simple, unlobed to palmately lobed. Flowers in a spike, individual flowers 1-4 in the leaf axils, with 3-11 bracts (epicalyx) that are fused together at the base. Petals 5 (more in double cultivars), variously coloured. Stamens in a 5-angled tubular column. Fruit of up to about 40 segments (mericarps) each of 2 chambers, one of which contains a single seed.

Medicinal.

5-angled staminal column.

About 60 species from the E Mediterranean to C Asia.

Source: Marshall, L. (1997). Abutilon. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 2. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 1. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Rosanae
order      Malvales
family       Malvaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Alcea rosea L.