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The Collaborative International Dictionary
Lavatera

Lavatera \Lavatera\ n. A widespread genus of herbs or soft-wooded arborescent shrubs cultivated for their showy flowers.

Syn: genus Lavatera.

Wiktionary
lavatera

n. (context botany English) Any of the genus (taxlink Lavatera genus) of malvaceous flowering plants.

Wikipedia
Lavatera

Lavatera is a genus of about 25 species of flowering plants in the family Malvaceae, native to the Mediterranean region, central and eastern Asia, North America (California and Mexico) and Australia. A number of species are naturalized in North America.

Many Lavatera species have now been transferred to the related genus Malva. Lavatera species are known as tree mallows, or rather ambiguously as rose mallows, royal mallows or annual mallows.

The genus includes annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous plants and soft-wooded shrubs, growing from 1–3 m tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, and palmately lobed. The flowers are conspicuous, 4–12 cm diameter, with five white, pink or red petals; they are produced in terminal clusters.

Lavatera species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Bucculatrix lavaterella, which feeds exclusively on these plants. Flowers and seeds of several species are also used as food by humans.

Usage examples of "lavatera".

Thick privet hedges wafted their tangy scent, and nearly every front garden in Arcadia Avenue had one of those sugar-pink lavatera things trumpeting into the sky.