hollyhock

/hol"ee hok', -hawk'/, n.

any of several plants belonging to the genus Alcea (or Althaea), of the mallow family, native to Eurasia, esp. A. rosea, a tall plant having a long cluster of showy, variously colored flowers.

[1225-75; ME holihoc, equiv. to holi HOLY + hoc mallow, OE hocc]

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Herbaceous plant (Althaea rosea) of the mallow family, native to China but widely cultivated for its handsome flowers.

The several varieties include annual, biennial, and perennial forms. The stalk, growing about 5–9 ft (1.5–2.7 m) tall, bears leaves with five to seven lobes and, along the upper portion, commonly white, pink, red, or yellow flowers.

Hollyhock (Althaea rosea)

Lefever/Grushow from Grant Heilman Photography, Inc.

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▪ plant

 (Althaea rosea), herbaceous plant of the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae), native to China but widely cultivated for its handsome flowers. The several varieties include annual, biennial, and perennial forms. The plant grows almost absolutely straight for about 1.5–2.7 metres (5–9 feet), with the flowers borne along the stem. The leaves have five to seven lobes. Commonly white, pink, red, or yellow, the flowers are 7.5 cm (3 inches) or more across and are borne along the upper portion of the stem.

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