Any of various plants of the genus Althaea

• Similar to but having smaller flowers than genus Alcea

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Althaea is a genus of 6–12 species of perennial herbs native to Europe and western Asia . It includes Althaea officinalis , also known as the marshmallow plant, whence the fluffy confection got its name. They are found on the banks of rivers and in salt ...

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Althaea \Al*th[ae]"a\, ||Althea \Al*the"a\, n. [althaea, Gr. ?.] (Bot.) A genus of plants of the Mallow family. It includes the officinal marsh mallow, and the garden hollyhocks. An ornamental shrub ( Hibiscus Syriacus ) of the Mallow family.

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. any of various plants of the genus Althaea; similar to but having smaller flowers than genus Alcea [syn: althea , hollyhock ]