View source for Althaea

{{Treatment/ID
|accepted_name=Althaea
|accepted_authority=Linnaeus
|publications={{Treatment/Publication
|title=Sp. Pl.
|place=2: 686. 1753
|year=1753
}}, {{Treatment/Publication
|title=Gen. Pl. ed.
|place=5, 307. 1754
|year=1754
}}
|common_names=Marshmallow;guimauve
|special_status={{Treatment/ID/Special_status
|code=I
|label=Introduced
}}
|basionyms=
|synonyms=
|hierarchy=Malvaceae;Malvaceae subfam. Malvoideae;Althaea
|hierarchy_nav=<div class="higher-taxa"><div class="higher-taxon"><small>family</small>[[Malvaceae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>subfamily</small>[[Malvaceae subfam. Malvoideae]]</div><div class="higher-taxon"><small>genus</small>[[Althaea]]</div></div>
|etymology=For Althaea, wife of King Oeneus of Aetolia or Calydon
|volume=Volume 6
|mention_page=page 218, 228, 286
|treatment_page=page 231
}}<!--

--><span class="statement" id="st-d0_s0" data-properties="whole_organism duration;whole_organism duration;whole_organism pubescence;whole_organism growth form;hair arrangement or shape;hair architecture;hair coating"><b>Herbs,</b> annual or perennial, usually hairy, hairs stellate or simple, not viscid.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s1" data-properties="stem orientation"><b>Stems </b>erect to decumbent.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s2" data-properties="stipule duration;stipule duration;stipule shape;stipule architecture;stipule shape"><b>Leaves:</b> stipules persistent or caducous, subulate or linear to lanceolate, simple to 2 or 3-fid;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s3" data-properties="blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;blade shape;base shape;base shape;base shape;base shape;base shape;base shape;margin shape;margin architecture or shape;margin architecture or shape">blade reniform, deltate-ovate, or ovate, bluntly or acutely lobed or palmately parted, base cuneate, truncate, obtuse, or cordate, margins crenate to coarsely dentate or serrate.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s4" data-properties="inflorescence position;flower architecture or arrangement or growth form;flower arrangement or density"><b>Inflorescences </b>axillary, solitary flowers or in 2–4-flowered fascicles, these concentrated on ends of stems and branches;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s5" data-properties="involucel presence;bractlet duration;bractlet atypical quantity;bractlet quantity;bractlet fusion">involucel present, bractlets persistent, 6–9 (–12), connate basally.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s6" data-properties="calyx size;calyx shape;calyx shape;calyx shape;lobe fusion;lobe shape;lobe shape;lobe shape;apex shape;apex shape;apex shape;apex shape;apex shape"><b>Flowers:</b> calyx not or slightly accrescent, not inflated, campanulate, 5-lobed, lobes connate basally, not ribbed, ovate or lanceolate, apex obtuse, acuminate, or apiculate;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s7" data-properties="corolla shape;corolla coloration;petal architecture or shape;achene architecture;achene orientation;achene shape;achene shape;achene shape;achene architecture;achene texture;achene pubescence;achene pubescence;achene dehiscence">corolla rotate to wide-campanulate, white or pink to lilac-purple or bluish, petals asymmetric, schizocarpic achenes, erect, not inflated, reniform to orbicular, rounded to angled, unwinged, not or slightly indurate, stellate-pilose-hairy or glabrous, indehiscent;</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s8" data-properties="mericarp atypical quantity;mericarp atypical quantity;mericarp quantity;mericarp architecture">mericarps [8–] 10–20 [–24], 1-celled.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s9" data-properties=""><b>Seeds </b>1 per mericarp, reniform-round, minutely rugulose, glabrous.</span> <span class="statement" id="st-d0_s10" data-properties="seed quantity;seed shape;seed relief;seed pubescence;x chromosome quantity">x = 21.</span><!--

-->{{Treatment/Body
|distribution=Europe;w;c Asia (Mediterranean region)
|introduced=true
|discussion=<p>Species 6–12 (4 in the flora).</p><!--
--><p>Two of the species of Althaea in the flora area occur in cultivation and rarely escape. The perennial species generally have stellate pubescence and the annual species generally have simple hairs; both have pink to purple anthers; the annuals are thought by some to be better placed within the genus Malva. Althaea is very similar to Alcea, and the latter has been combined with it by various authors. Hybrids between the two (×Alcathaea Hinsley) have been described, as have hybrids between Malva and Althaea (×Malvalthaea Iljin). See discussion under 13. Alcea for more information.</p>
|tables=
|references=
}}<!--

--><div class="treatment-key">
==Key==
<div class="treatment-key-group">
  
{| class="wikitable fna-keytable"
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Annuals, hispid-hirsute; petals to 1 1/2 times as long as calyx; staminal columns glabrous; anthers pale pink to almost white (yellow).
|[[Althaea hirsuta|Althaea hirsuta]]
|-id=key-0-1
|1
|Perennials, stellate-hairy; petals (1.1–)2–3 times as long as calyx; staminal columns clavate-hairy or glabrous; anthers purple
|[[#key-0-2| > 2]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Leaves unlobed or at most 3(–5)-lobed 1/2 to midrib; mericarps densely stellate-hairy.
|[[Althaea officinalis|Althaea officinalis]]
|-id=key-0-2
|2
|Leaves palmately divided 1/2+ to midrib, 5-lobed; mericarps glabrous or stellate-hairy
|[[#key-0-3| > 3]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Peduncles many-flowered; mericarps stellate-pilose-hairy.
|[[Althaea armeniaca|Althaea armeniaca]]
|-id=key-0-3
|3
|Peduncles 2–3-flowered; mericarps glabrous.
|[[Althaea cannabina|Althaea cannabina]]
|}
</div></div><!--

-->{{#Taxon:
name=Althaea
|author=Steven R. Hill
|authority=Linnaeus
|rank=genus
|parent rank=subfamily
|synonyms=
|basionyms=
|family=Malvaceae
|distribution=Europe;w;c Asia (Mediterranean region)
|introduced=true
|reference=None
|publication title=Sp. Pl.;Gen. Pl. ed.
|publication year=1753;1754
|special status=Introduced
|source xml=https://bibilujan@bitbucket.org/aafc-mbb/fna-fine-grained-xml.git/src/84153f6d59a0a91d69695978a64cee7560374f8e/V6/V6_412.xml
|subfamily=Malvaceae subfam. Malvoideae
|genus=Althaea
|achene architecture=unwinged;schizocarpic
|achene dehiscence=indehiscent
|achene orientation=erect
|achene pubescence=glabrous;stellate-pilose-hairy
|achene shape=reniform;orbicular rounded
|achene texture=indurate
|apex shape=apiculate;acuminate;apiculate;acuminate;obtuse
|base shape=cordate;obtuse;cordate;obtuse;truncate;cuneate
|blade shape=parted;lobed;or;ovate;deltate-ovate;parted;lobed;or;ovate;deltate-ovate;parted;lobed;or;ovate;deltate-ovate;reniform
|bractlet atypical quantity=9;12
|bractlet duration=persistent
|bractlet fusion=connate
|bractlet quantity=6;9
|calyx shape=5-lobed;campanulate;not inflated
|calyx size=accrescent
|corolla coloration=pink;lilac-purple or bluish
|corolla shape=rotate;wide-campanulate
|flower architecture or arrangement or growth form=solitary
|flower arrangement or density=concentrated
|hair architecture=simple
|hair arrangement or shape=stellate
|hair coating=not viscid
|inflorescence position=axillary
|involucel presence=absent
|lobe fusion=connate
|lobe shape=lanceolate;ovate;not ribbed
|margin architecture or shape=serrate;dentate
|margin shape=crenate
|mericarp architecture=1-celled
|mericarp atypical quantity=20;24
|mericarp quantity=10;20
|petal architecture or shape=asymmetric
|seed pubescence=glabrous
|seed quantity=1
|seed relief=rugulose
|seed shape=reniform-round
|stem orientation=erect;decumbent
|stipule architecture=simple
|stipule duration=caducous;persistent
|stipule shape=3-fid;linear;lanceolate
|whole_organism duration=perennial;annual
|whole_organism growth form=herb
|whole_organism pubescence=hairy
|x chromosome quantity=21
}}<!--

-->[[Category:Treatment]][[Category:Malvaceae subfam. Malvoideae]]