Alcea L.

8. Alcea L. View in CoL 2

Tall perennials with erect stems. Flowers large, subsessile in terminal, spike-like racemes. Epicalyx-segments 6(-7), united at the base, smaller than the sepals or about equalling them. Petals emarginate. Staminal tube 5-angled, glabrous. Stigmas lateral, filiform. Carpels 18-40. Fruit a schizocarp; mericarps indéhiscent, arranged in a single whorl, hairy at least in centre of dorsal face, each divided by an internal septum into an upper, empty cell and a lower one with a single seed.

The genus is centred in S.W. & C. Asia, and is very difficult taxonomically on account of reticulation of characters and (probably) hybridization. Until a complete revision has been undertaken this treatment of European plants must be regarded as provisional.

Literature: M. Zohary, Bull. Res. Counc. Israel 11 D: 210-229 (1963); Israel Jour. Bot. 12: 1-26 (1963).

1 Petals entirely yellow 6. rugosa

1 Petals white, pink, purple or violet in apical part (sometimes yellow at the base)

2 Upper leaves palmatisect almost to the base 5. lavateriflora

2 Upper leaves not divided for more than | of the radius

3 Stem sparsely setose or ± glabrous at maturity

4 Furrow on dorsal face of mericarp rather shallow, largely obscured by hairs; angles not winged 1. setosa

4 Furrow on dorsal face of mericarp deep; angles produced into membranous wings 2. rosea

3 Stem with persistent, dense tomentum of stellate hairs

5 Epicalyx not more than half as long as calyx 4. heldreichii

5 Epicalyx at least J as long as calyx 3. pallida