Common Hollyhock
Alcea rosea
Herbaceous plant growing as a weed in a fallow cornfield near Iten, Kenya, Africa. January 2012.
HERB: Annual or short-lived perennial herb sometimes exceeding two
meters in height. One or a few ascending branches.
FLOWERS: The flowers are large and showy. Colors may vary within or
between cultivars. The column of stamens is an easy to see feature of the
flower structure.
LEAVES: The leaves are broadly palmate with about five lobes.
RANGE: This garden favorite is native to China, was imported to Europe,
and later brought to Kenya by colonists. It is frequently cultivated still, but
populations have become naturalized, mostly in disturbed ground in the
temperate highland areas.
FRUIT: The fruit splits into many dry capsules - up to 40, each with a
single seed.
UNARMED.