Althaea L.

Herbs, annual or perennial, usually hairy, hairs stellate or simple, not viscid. Stems erect to decumbent. Leaves: stipules persistent or caducous, subulate or linear to lanceolate, simple to 2 or 3-fid; blade reniform, deltate-ovate, or ovate, bluntly or acutely lobed or palmately parted, base cuneate, truncate, obtuse, or cordate, margins crenate to coarsely dentate or serrate. Inflorescences axillary, solitary flowers or in 2–4-flowered fascicles, these concentrated on ends of stems and branches; involucel present, bractlets persistent, 6–9(–12), connate basally. Flowers: calyx not or slightly accrescent, not inflated, campanulate, 5-lobed, lobes connate basally, not ribbed, ovate or lanceolate, apex obtuse, acuminate, or apiculate; corolla rotate to wide-campanulate, white or pink to lilac-purple or bluish, petals asymmetric, schizocarpic achenes, erect, not inflated, reniform to orbicular, rounded to angled, unwinged, not or slightly indurate, stellate-pilose-hairy or glabrous, indehiscent; mericarps [8–]10–20[–24], 1-celled. Seeds 1 per mericarp, reniform-round, minutely rugulose, glabrous. x = 21.