Alcea rosea L.

Spice Detail Flower 1 Flower 2 In the field

Family: MALVACEAE

Genus: Alcea

Catalan common name: Malva de jardí. Malva doble. Malva reial. Vauma reial.

Spanish common name: Alcea. Malva de la reina. Malva de los jardines. Malva del príncipe. Malva doncella. Malva Isabela. Malva loca. Malva real. Malva rosa. Malvón.

Province distribution: Alacant. Balearic Islands. Barcelona. Castelló. Girona. Tarragona. València.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): East Mediterranean

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Hemicryptophyte.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Garden plants. Gardens and casual.

Characteristics: A slender perennial plant with very tall stems (up to 2,5 m) and pilose, covered with petiolate, lobate and heart shaped leaves. The flowers are of great dimensions, very showy and mauve, pink or white in colour. They are distributed in terminal speciform racemes.