Alcea sp.
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Perennial · Variable; species dependent
Alcea sp. is a non-native California perennial in the Malvaceae family.
How to tell it apart
vs Malva: Alcea has huge flowers (>6 cm) with 5-11 fused bracts; Malva has smaller flowers with 3 separate bracts.; vs Rosa: Alcea has flowers in tall spikes with fused stamens; Rosa has flowers with separate stamens and prickly stems.; vs Pelargonium: Alcea has symmetrical bowl-shaped flowers; Pelargonium has irregular flowers with upper petals different from lower.; vs Gladiolus: Alcea has bowl-shaped mallow flowers spiraling around stem; Gladiolus has tubular flowers in one-sided spike.; vs Petunia: Alcea flowers have many separate petals and fused stamens; Petunia has funnel-shaped fused petals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Alcea sp. native to California?
No. Alcea sp. is not native to California (recorded as variable; species dependent).
What plant family does Alcea sp. belong to?
Alcea sp. is in the Malvaceae family, genus Alcea.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-04-14
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.