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Plants

Lavatera plebeia

Lavatera

an annual or perennial member of the Lavatera genus in the family Malvaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Family
Malvaceae
Life cycle
annual, perennial
Height
1.5 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Young leaves - raw or cooked. Root - raw or cooked[6]. A parsnip-like consistency[8][2][4].

Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Root

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are used as a poultice[3].

Product or use
Poultice

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A strong fibre obtained from the stems is used for making string, bags, paper etc[4][5].

Product or use
Fibre

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, Victoria.
Habitat
Clayey soils and areas subject to flooding[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in early summer.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain. In Australian gardens it succeeds in most soils in a warm sunny position. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in any ordinary garden soil[1]. Prefers a light well-drained moderately fertile soil in full sun[7]. A soil that is too rich encourages foliar growth at the expense of flowering[7].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

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  3. Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants.

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  4. Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.

    ↩1↩2↩3

  5. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Useful Wild Plants in Australia. William Collins Pty Ltd. Sidney 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-00-216441-8

    ↩

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  7. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  8. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩

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