Alcea setosa, (Boiss.) Alef. Alcea rosea, L. Alcea pallida, (Willd.) Waldst. & Kit. Alcea pallida subsp. eretica, (Weinm.) D. A. Webb

1. A. setosa (Boiss.) Alef. View in CoL , Österr. Bot. Zeitschr. 12: 255 (1862)

{ Althaea pontica (Janka) Baker fit, Althaea rosea auct. balcan. pro parte, non (L.) Cav.).

Stem sometimes purple-spotted, setose with rather distant groups of deflexed hairs, tomentosepubescent only on youngest parts. Leaves cordate-orbicular to deltate, the upper usually divided for | - j of the radius into 3-5 oblong or deltate, obtuse, crenate lobes. Epicalyx-segments triangular, acute; sepals similar but rather larger, without prominent veins. Petals 35-50 x 40-55 mm, almost contiguous, violet, usually with yellow base. Mericarps 6 mm; dorsal face densely hairy, with a shallow furrow; angles rugose, not winged; lateral faces appressed-setose. Turkey-in-Europe; Kriti; cultivated elsewhere for ornament and occasionally naturalized. Cr Tu [It Ju]. (5. W. Asia, Egypt.)

2. A. rosea L. View in CoL , Sp. Pl. 687 (1753)

{ Althaea rosea (L.) Cav. ).

Stem glabrescent or sparsely setose with deflexed hairs, tomentosepubescent only on youngest parts. Leaves cordate-orbicular to rhombic, weakly 3- to 5-lobed, slightly scabrid-setulose. Epicalyxsegments deltate to triangular-lanceolate, as long as the subacute, triangular sepals. Petals 30-50 mm, contiguous, usually pink but sometimes white or violet. Mericarps 7 mm; dorsal face with deep, narrow furrow; angles rugose, produced into parallel wings; lateral faces appressed-setose. O f unknown origin; cultivated in gardens throughout Europe and widely naturalized. [Au Br Bu Cz Ga Ge He Hs Hu It Ju Lu Rm Rs.] Not known anywhere as an indigenous plant; probably a hybrid of 1 with 3 or with an Asiatic species. The customary ascription of China as the country of origin is certainly false. Cultivated plants show variation in many characters, especially of calyx and epicalyx, but the combination of winged mericarps, wide petals, and absence of tomentum from the mature stem is distinctive . Some garden plants have yellow or yellowish flowers and more deeply divided leaves, but in other respects resemble 2; they have been given the name of A. ficifolia L. , Sp. Pl. 687 (1753) { Althaea ficifolia (L.) Cav. ), which does not seem to refer to any wild plant. They are probably hybrids with 6 or a related species.3

3. A. pallida (Willd.) Waldst. & Kit. View in CoL , Pl. Rar. Hung. 1: 46 (1801)

{ Althaea pallida Willd. ).

Stem pubescent-tomentose throughout, and usually also hispid with longer hairs. Leaves cordate-orbicular to rhombic-deltate, crenate, undivided, or divided for c.} of the radius into 3-5 obtuse lobes, greyishtomentose, especially beneath. Epicalyx-segments triangular, acute, equalling or slightly shorter than the sepals. Petals 30-45 x 25-35 mm, not contiguous. Mericarps 4-5-6 mm; dorsal face with deep, fairly broad furrow; angles rugose, produced into slightly divergent wings. S. E. & E. C. Europe, northwards to S. Czechoslovakia. Al Au Bu Cr Cz Gr Hu Ju Rm Rs (W, K) Tu [It].

(a) Subsp. pallida :

Not very densely tomentose; petals pale pink, usually yellow at the base, deeply emarginate; mericarps 4- 5-5 mm, blackish, with lateral faces glabrous. Throughout the range of the species except Kriti and parts of Greece.

(b) Subsp. eretica (Weinm.) D. A. Webb , Feddes Repert. 74: 27 (1967)

{ Althaea eretica Weinm. , Althaea rosea auct. plur., non (L.) Cav.):

Densely tomentose; petals bright pink or purple, scarcely yellow at the base, not very deeply emarginate; mericarps 5-5-6 mm, pale brown, with lateral faces appressed-setose. 5. & W. parts of Balkan peninsula; Kriti.

In the S. part of the Balkan peninsula, plants are found with combinations of the differential characters which makes it difficult to assign them to either subspecies.

A. apterocarpa (Fenzl) Boiss. , FI. Or. 1: 830 (1867), which is very like 3 (b) but with unwinged mericarps, is doubtfully recorded from S. Greece; no European material with ripe fruit appears to be available.