Lavatera L.
Annual to perennial herbs, woody shrubs or trees. Lvs toothed or lobed. Fls solitary and axillary, or in axillary clusters or terminal racemes; epicalyx segments 3, united at least in part; calyx evenly 5-toothed; petals spreading, emarginate or deeply notched. Style branches as many as loculi, filiform. Fr. of numerous, 1-seeded, indehiscent, awnless mericarps arranged in a single flat whorl round short conic apex of receptacle, separating at maturity.
Key
2
Epicalyx segments > calyx, enlarged and spreading at fruiting; mericarps finely transversely ribbed on back
Epicalyx segments < calyx, ± unchanged at fruiting; mericarps with a single low longitudinal rib, otherwise smooth or faintly ribbed on back
Stout annual or biennial, often woody at base; calyx campanulate; petals (8)-10-18 mm long
4
Epicalyx segments united for lower ?-1/2; mericarps ± smooth on back, not obscured by axis
Epicalyx segments united for almost entire length; mericarps transverse-reticulately veined, obscured by expanded central axis
c. 45 spp., N. temperate, C. Asia, Australia. Naturalised spp. 5.
![Fig. 81. Lavatera. A L. arborea, fruiting calyx with epicalyx; B L. assurgentiflora, calyx with epicalyx. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X69]](https://data.landcareresearch.co.nz/Image/4X69/SysPortalPreview)
Fig. 81. Lavatera. A L. arborea, fruiting calyx with epicalyx; B L. assurgentiflora, calyx with epicalyx. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X69]
![Fig. 82. Frs of Lavatera, with calyx removed. A L. cretica; B L. trimestris. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X6A]](https://data.landcareresearch.co.nz/Image/4X6A/SysPortalPreview)
Fig. 82. Frs of Lavatera, with calyx removed. A L. cretica; B L. trimestris. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X6A]
![Fig. 83. Calyx teeth of Lavatera and Malva. A L. cretica; B M. sylvestris. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X6B]](https://data.landcareresearch.co.nz/Image/4X6B/SysPortalPreview)
Fig. 83. Calyx teeth of Lavatera and Malva. A L. cretica; B M. sylvestris. © All rights reserved. [Image: 4X6B]
