Common name:
Marsh mallow
Family:
Scientific name:
Althaea officinalis
Main flower color:
Range:
Coastal regions of Ireland, Wales and England; most common in the south
Height:
Up to 150 cm
Habitat:
Upper margins of saltmarshes
Flowers:
Four clawed, pale pink petals, crossed by faint, darker purple veins, and five green sepals around half as long, covered by soft, star-shaped hairs, as are the stems and leaves. Beneath the sepals is an epicalyx of up to nine narrow lobes. Stamens and carpels are purplish. Flowers are relatively large, up to 4 cm across
Leaves:
Broadly lanceolate, shallowly three- or five-lobed, lined with irregular teeth. Stellate-hairy
Season:
July to September
Rarity:
★★★★★
