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Lavatera cachemiriana

Common name:	Lavatera	Family:	Malvaceae
Author:	Cambess.	Botanical references:	51, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Himalayas from Pakistan to Uttar Pradesh.
Habitat:	Humus rich soils[145] in meadows and forest clearings, 1800 - 3600 metres[51]. Wet meadows or sunny slopesat elevations of 540 - 2200 metresin Tibet[266].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	L. cachmeriana[H]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Kashmir Tree Mallow [H],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	ater = black
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Malvales. Mallow family

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 2.4m by 1m at a fast rate. It is hardy to zone 8 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from July to August, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Leaves.

Young leaves - raw or cooked. A mild flavour, but they are tough and not very worthwhile[K]. When cooked they have a somewhat slimy consistency[K].
Flowers - raw. Rather bland, but an attractive garnish to a salad[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Demulcent Pectoral Purgative.

Demulcent, pectoral, purgative[61].

Other Uses

Fibre.

A strong fibre is obtained from the stems, it is used for making string, bags, paper etc[74].

Cultivation details

Avery easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil in sun or partial shade[1, 187]. Prefers a light well-drained moderately fertile soil in full sun[200]. A soil that is too rich encourages foliar growth at the expense of flowering[200]. Tolerates maritime exposure[200].
Plants are hardy to about -20° c[187].
This species is considered by some botanists to be no more than a minor variant of L. thuringiaca[187].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed[200]. Germination is usually quick and good. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer[K].
Basal cuttings in spring.
Cuttings of softwood in June/July[188].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for Lavatera cachmeriana (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database

References for the family Malvaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[51] Polunin. O. and Stainton. A. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press 1984
A very readable and good pocket guide (if you have a very large pocket!) to many of the wild plants in the Himalayas. Gives many examples of plant uses.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[74] Komarov. V. L. Flora of the USSR. Israel Program for Scientific Translation 1968
An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers.

[145] Singh. Dr. G. and Kachroo. Prof. Dr. P. Forest Flora of Srinagar. Bishen Singh Mahendra Pal Singh 1976
A good flora of the western Himalayas but poorly illustrated. Some information on plant uses.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[266] Flora of China 1994
On-line version of the Flora - an excellent resource giving basic info on habitat and some uses.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
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