Lavatera olbia L.

Family: MALVACEAE

Genus: Lavatera

Province distribution: Balearic Islands.

Distribution in the islands: Mallorca. Menorca.

General distribution (Phytogeography): West Mediterranean

IUCN Category: DDData deficient

Flowering time: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Life-forms: Macrophanerophyte. Perennial.

Habitats: Cultivated fields, path and road sides, disturbed zones. Non-saline wetlands (intermittent watercourses, streams, artesian wells, ditches). Humid soils and road sides.

Characteristics: This Lavatera can reach over three metres in height, and become bigger than Lavatera arborea which it can be mistaken for; it can be distinguished from this one because the calycle of the flower is shorter than the calyx, and because the leaves have a central lobe which is larger than the others, and is very long. It is an infrequent Malvaceae, which lives along path-sides; some of the known populations were damaged with roadworks. Flowers at the end of the spring.