Alcea Alcea Alcea is a genus of about 60 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks. They are native to Asia and Europe. The single species of hollyhock from the Western Hemisphere, the streambank wild hollyhock, belongs to a different genus. Hollyhocks are annual, biennial, or perennial plants usually taking an erect, unbranched form. The herbage usually has a coating of star-shaped hairs. The leaf blades are often lobed or toothed, and are borne on long petioles. The flowers may be solitary or arranged in fascicles or racemes. The notched petals are usually over
Common garden skink Common garden skink The common garden skink or pale-flecked garden sunskink ("Lampropholis guichenoti") is a species of small common skink endemic to Australia. The specific name, "guichenoti", is in honor of French zoologist Antoine Alphone Guichenot. In Australia "L. guichenoti" is often seen in suburban gardens in Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, and Brisbane, but also is common across most of Southern Australia, Tasmania and some of New South Wales. They are also found in New Zealand, in suburban gardens in Auckland. They have also been known to live in Eastern U.S. "Lampropholis guichenoti" can grow to a maximum of 14