Alcea digitata, the fingered hollyhock,[2] is a tall hollyhock with large flowers native to the Middle East.
Description
A medium to tall (up to 3 m), hairy hollyhock with large, pinkish, or pale flowers (petals to 50 mm). The leaves (particularly upper ones) are distinctively divided into spreading finger-like lobes whose edges are irregular and at times sublobed, the lobes at the base of the leaf tending to point rather backward. Whilst the leaf-end lobe is larger than the others but not hugely so. The low leaves can be well-divided into fingers or just shallowly lobed.
The stem is narrow (to 12 mm) and branched only at the base.The hairs are star-like (sparse or dense). When tall, its height mostly comprises a long flower stalk with little leafage. It is found at roadsides, fields, rocky slopes, steppe, and maquis.
The epicalyx is large (>=50% calyx). The fruit segments with wingless edges, conspicuously wrinkled, pilose hairy (the sides sparsely).[3][4]
Distribution
The plant's range includes Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey.[1] In Turkey, it has been found growing at an elevation range of 20–2400 metres.
Botanical photographs
Photographs from Antalya unless indicated.
Typical look in flower
Typical look in flower
Topmost flowers
Growing plant
Growing plant
Leaf shape with end lobe only a little longer and base-lobes backward-pointing
Flower side, showing stellate large epicalyx (>=50% calyx)
Flower underside
Floral organs in flower centre
Petal base showing hairs
Buds, with smaller stellate hairs and large epicalyx
Buds, with smaller stellate hairs and large epicalyx
Calyx with stellate hairs
Flower stalk
Leaf with narrower lobes
Leaf with broader lobes (lowest leaves may be very shallow-lobed)
Leaf underside with coarse and fine stellate hairs (upper leaves less coarsely)
Leaf upperside
Leaf stalk with coarser hairs
Stem with coarser hairs
Stem with sparse hairs
Stem with coarse and many less coarse hairs
Inflorescence stem with less coarse hairs
Exceptionally tall plant, in flower
Exceptionally tall plant (reaching just beyond top of photo)
