Australian Hollyhock
Malva preissiana
Erect, resprouting shrub with tall sprays of large-veined, pink or white, yellow-centred flowers.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Flora Type | Shrubs |
| Former Scientific Name | Malva preissiana, Lavatera plebeia var. plebeian, Lavatera plebeia var. tomentosa. |
| Distinctive Features | Leaves covered in velvety star-shaped hairs. |
| Biology | Short-lived perennial. Heavy seasonally wet soils in brackish wetlands, saltmarsh and riparian scrub. Dies back in dry periods then resprouts. |
| Native Status | Native |
| Flowering Time | Aug-Dec |
| Taxonomy | |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta (Vascular Plants) |
| Class | Magnoliopsida (Flowering Plants) |
| Order | Malvales |
| Family | Malvaceae |
| Genus | Lavatera |
| Species | plebeia |
An important Koori plant in Vic where stem fibres were used for string, sap as an ointment and the parsnip-like root roasted and made into a dough. In Vic the Aboriginal people baked the stems before chewing them.
| Interesting Facts | |
|---|---|
| Similar Species | It is very similar to a number of introduced Malva species. |
| Native Status | Native |