Alcea rosea Alcea rosea Alcea rosea, the common hollyhock, is an ornamental plant in the family Malvaceae. It was imported into Europe from southwestern China during, or possibly before, the 15th century. William Turner, a herbalist of the time, gave it the name "holyoke" from which the English name derives. "Alcea rosea" is variously described as a biennial (having a two-year life cycle), as an annual, or as a short-lived perennial. It frequently self-sows, which may create a perception that the plants are perennial. The plant may flower during its first year when sown early. It will grow in a wide range
Rhodiola rosea and 4 petals, yellow to greenish yellow in color sometimes tipped with red, about long, and blooming in summer. Several shoots growing from the same thick root may reach in height. "R. rosea" is dioecious – having separate female and male plants. "Rhodiola rosea" was first described by Pedanius Dioscorides in De Materia Medica. Western North American plants formerly included in "R. rosea" are now treated as "Rhodiola integrifolia" and "Rhodiola rhodantha". About 140 chemical compounds are in the subterranean portions of "R. rosea". "Rhodiola" roots contain phenols, rosavin, rosin, rosarin, organic acids, terpenoids, phenolic acids and their derivatives, flavonoids,