HOLLYHOCK. 357 



HOLLYHOCK. Alcea Rosea. 



Natural Order Columniferce. Malvacece^ Juss 

 Genus of the Monadelphia Polyandria Class. 



'* From the nectaries of Hollyhocks 



The humble bee, e'en till he faints, will sip." 



H. SiMITH. 



The cultivation of this magnificent Eastern plant 

 is of great antiquity in this country. Its noble 

 size, majestic height, and splendid flowers could 

 not fail to attract the attention of our earliest 

 collectors of exotic plants, and although we can- 

 not state the time when the Hollyhock was first 

 brought to this country, it was certainly much 

 earlier than the date mentioned in the Hortus 

 Kewensis, or any other modern work on plants 

 that we have been able to consult. Dr. Turner 

 speaks of it as a familiar plant in his work, dated 

 24th June, 1564, and Gerard, in 1597, observes 

 that it was then sown in gardens almost every- 

 where. 



The derivation of the English name of this 

 flower may be traced to the Saxon language, the 

 old name of Holyoak being the same as Holihec. 



