Malvaceae Week: Lavatera cachemiriana from Gulmarg, Kashmir

[Gurcharan Singh]

Lavatera cachemiriana Cambess, Voy. Inde 4(Bot): 29 29, 1841 

Syn: Althaea cachemiriana (Cambess.) Kuntze; Lavatera cachemiriana var. haroonii Abedin

Soft pubescent herb up to 2.5 m tall, lower leaves cordate-orbicular, 5-lobed, shallowly crenate, upper leaves 3- or 5-lobed, midlobe longest; flowers solitary in upper leaf axils, 5-8 cm across; epicalyx 3, ovate, united up to middle, shorter than calyx; petals pink, about 4-5 cm long, deeply bi-lobed, hairy at base; staminal tube-8-12 mm long; fruit up to 1.5 mm across with 20-25 mericarps shorter than central axis.

Species endemic to Kashmir

Photographed from Gulmarg in July, growing on open slopes. 

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Dr. Gurcharan Singh
Retired  Associate Professor
SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007
Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018.
Phone: 011-25518297  Mob: 9810359089
http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/

[Balkar Arya]

You are great Sir, introducing us to so many little known plants of  family Malvaceae 

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Regards

Dr Balkar Singh
Head, Deptt. of Botany and Biotechnology
Arya P G College, Panipat
Haryana-132103
09416262964