In message , Sacha
writes
We had some Canadian visitors yesterday, parents of someone I'd met on a
newsgroup. We were taking them round the garden when they stopped to look
at a Lavatera and called it a 'hollyhock' It was an interesting example of
how the Latin names do help in these circumstances. But foolishly, I forgot
to ask them what Canadians call what we call a hollyhock! Does anyone
happen to know?

Canadians call hollyhocks (Alcea sp, especially Alcea rosea) hollyhocks.

I've seen Lavatera's (Lavatera trimestris in that case) called
hollyhocks by an Englishman before - and when my grandmother acquired
Lavatera x clementii 'Rosea' the name under which she acquired it was
Hibiscus. Unless you have reason to believe that they are too familiar
with the plants to make a mistake in identification, I'd put it down as
an error.

Hollyhock is applied to plants outside Alcea; the Australians apply it
to a couple of species of Malva (ex Lavatera) and the Americans to some
species (at least) of Sphaeralcea and Iliamna. The Canadians might
follow the Americans in this.

http://www.malvaceae.info/Index/Vern...hp?genus=Alcea
http://www.malvaceae.info/Index/Vern...attern=hollyho
ck

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley