Alcea rosea

• Botanical Name : Alcea rosea L.
• Synonyms : Althaea rosea (L.) Cav.
• Common Name : Hollyhock
• Plant Family : Malvaceae
• Plant Form : Herb
• Occurrence (Sectors) : 18, 21, 23
• Occurrence (Special Areas) : Indroda Park, Ayurvedic Udyan, Van Chetana Kendra

About Alcea rosea Plant :

• Habit : Annual, cultivated herb.
• Stem : Erect, cylindrical, branched, solid and green.
• Leaves : Simple, palmately lobed, alternate, stipulate, petiolate and multicostate reticulate.
• Inflorescence : Solitary axillary
• Flowers :
  • Ebracteate, pedicellate, complete, actinomorphic, hypogynous, cyclic, white or bright - rosy  - purple.
  • Epicalyx 6 to 9, fused, green.
  • Calyx made up of 5 sepals, gamosepalous, valvate.
  • Corolla made up of 5 petals, polypetalous, twisted, coloured.
  • Androecium composed of many stamens, monadelphous, epipetalous, forming staminal tube, monothecous, extrorse.
  • Gynoecium polycarpellary, syncarpous, superior, multilocular, axile placentation.
• Fruits : 1.5 - 2.5 cm across, depressed - spherical, densely stellate - tomentose.
• Seeds : 0.4 - 0.5 cm across, sub - reniform, brown, minutely stellatelly hairy, conspicuously ribbed.
• Flowering and Fruiting time : Oct - June
• Significance :
  • The seeds are demulcent.
  • The flowers are cooling and diuretic and considered useful in rheumatism.