Malva preissiana
Encyclopedia
Malva preissiana is a herbaceous perennial in the family Malvaceae
, found in the Australia
n states of New South Wales
, Queensland
and to a greater extent in South Australia
.
It is a large asexual herb
, growing up to 3 metres high and up to 3 metres wide, depending on the number of stalks or branches, that the bush has. It is a short lived perennial living around 3-5 years.
The plant was once common on the banks of waterways in Southern Australia
, especially those on the plain where the city of Adelaide
now stands. It was greatly admired by the early settlers of the Adelaide region
as it reminded them of the hollyhocks back in their home country of England
. This did not stop them destroying most of the areas where Native hollyhock occurred, and today it is a rare species. It still occurs in small populations on the banks of the River Torrens
. Recently it has also been included in several revegetation projects in parks across the city.
The leaves are hairy and typical of most mallows. They have five pointed lobes, and they have large prominent veins.
In spring, Native Holyhock breaks out into masses of large showy flowers. This makes it an extremely ecologically valuable plant for the local bees and butterflies. Flowers range in colour from the common white, to pale pink and mauve. The flowers have five petals which tinge slightly yellow as they reach the centre of the flower. The flowers die back in early summer to reveal a small cup shaped fruit containing clusters of small black seeds with unusual shapes. During summer the plant dies down and goes into a period of little or no growth until the rains arrive in autumn
.
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
, found in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n states of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and to a greater extent in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
It is a large asexual herb
Herb
Except in botanical usage, an herb is "any plant with leaves, seeds, or flowers used for flavoring, food, medicine, or perfume" or "a part of such a plant as used in cooking"...
, growing up to 3 metres high and up to 3 metres wide, depending on the number of stalks or branches, that the bush has. It is a short lived perennial living around 3-5 years.
The plant was once common on the banks of waterways in Southern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, especially those on the plain where the city of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
now stands. It was greatly admired by the early settlers of the Adelaide region
Adelaide Plains
The Adelaide Plains is the area in South Australia between the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east and Gulf St Vincent on the west. The plains are generally fertile with annual rainfall of about per year....
as it reminded them of the hollyhocks back in their home country of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. This did not stop them destroying most of the areas where Native hollyhock occurred, and today it is a rare species. It still occurs in small populations on the banks of the River Torrens
River Torrens
The River Torrens is the most significant river of the Adelaide Plains and was one of the reasons for the siting of the city of Adelaide, capital of South Australia. It flows from its source in the Adelaide Hills near Mount Pleasant, across the Adelaide Plains, past the city centre and empties...
. Recently it has also been included in several revegetation projects in parks across the city.
The leaves are hairy and typical of most mallows. They have five pointed lobes, and they have large prominent veins.
In spring, Native Holyhock breaks out into masses of large showy flowers. This makes it an extremely ecologically valuable plant for the local bees and butterflies. Flowers range in colour from the common white, to pale pink and mauve. The flowers have five petals which tinge slightly yellow as they reach the centre of the flower. The flowers die back in early summer to reveal a small cup shaped fruit containing clusters of small black seeds with unusual shapes. During summer the plant dies down and goes into a period of little or no growth until the rains arrive in autumn
Autumn
Autumn is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter usually in September or March when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier....
.