Althaea officinalis

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Althaea officinalis, the marsh mallow<ref name = RHSPF>Template:Cite web</ref> or marshmallow,<ref name = GRIN>Template:GRIN</ref> is a species of flowering plant indigenous to Europe, Western Asia and North Africa, which is used in herbalism and as an ornamental plant.

Description

This herbaceous perennial grows to Template:Convert tall and puts out only a few lateral branches. The whole plant is softly stellate-hairy, especially the leaves, which are broadly triangular to oval, often with 3–5 shallow lobes, irregularly toothed, with cordate to cuneate bases. Leaf size varies considerably, up to Template:Convert long, and Template:Convert wide. The leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, with no stipules, on petioles up to Template:Convert.<ref name=Harrap>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name= Poland>Template:Cite book</ref>

The inflorescences occur in the leaf axils and at the top of the stem and consist of panicles of 1-many flowers. The flowers are actinomorphic with 5 lilac/pink petals up to Template:Cvt long and 5 green sepals which are much shorter than the petals, and fused at the base. Below the petals is a cup-shaped epicalyx with 6–9 narrow, triangular lobes, half the length of the sepals. The purple stamens are united into a tube, the anthers kidney-shaped and one-celled. There is one style which protrudes above the stamen tube.<ref name=Stace>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

The flowers are in bloom during August and September, and are followed, as in other species of this order, by the flat, round fruit which are popularly called "cheeses". The whole fruit is a schizocarp, about Template:Cvt in diameter, which splits into about 20 kidney-shaped mericarps (seeds) about Template:Cvt long.<ref name=Stace />

The common mallow is frequently called "marsh mallow" in colloquial terms, but the true marsh mallow is distinguished from all the other mallows growing in Great Britain by the numerous divisions of the outer calyx (six to nine cleft), by the hoary down which thickly clothes the stems and foliage, and by the numerous panicles of blush-coloured flowers, paler than the common mallow. The roots are perennial, thick, long and tapering, very tough and pliant, whitish yellow outside, white and fibrous within.

Phytochemicals

Chemical constituents include altheahexacosanyl lactone (n-hexacos-2-enyl-1,5-olide), 2β-hydroxycalamene (altheacalamene) and altheacoumarin glucoside (5,6-dihydroxycoumarin-5-dodecanoate-6β-D-glucopyranoside), along with the known phytoconstituents lauric acid, β-sitosterol and lanosterol.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Uses

Ornamental

Marshmallows are used in gardening as ornamental plants.

Herbal medicine

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Marshmallow roots

The leaves, flowers and the root of A. officinalis (marshmallow) have been used in traditional herbal medicine. This use is reflected in the name of the genus, which comes from the Greek word Template:Lang (Template:Lang), meaning "to heal".<ref name="S&S">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="LSJ">Template:LSJ.</ref><ref name="OEtmD">Template:OEtymD</ref> The Latin specific epithet officinalis indicates plants with some culinary or medicinal value.<ref name=RHSLG>Template:Cite book</ref>

Marshmallow is traditionally used as relief for irritation of mucous membranes,<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> including use as a gargle for mouth and throat ulcers and gastric ulcers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Culinary

Most of the mallows have been used as food, and are mentioned by early classic writers with this connection. Mallow was an edible vegetable among the Romans; a dish of marsh mallow was one of their delicacies. Prospero Alpini stated in 1592 that a plant of the mallow kind was eaten by the Egyptians.Template:Citation needed Many of the poorer inhabitants of Syria subsisted for weeks on herbs, of which marshmallow is one of the most common.Template:Citation needed When boiled first and fried with onions and butter, the roots are said to form a palatable dish.<ref>Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 Template:ISBN Template:Full citation needed</ref> In times of scarcity consequent upon the failure of the crops, this plant, which grows in Syria in great abundance, is collected heavily as a foodstuff.

The young leaves can be cooked. The flower buds can be pickled.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> The roots can be peeled, sliced, boiled and sweetened to make candy. Water used to boil any part of the plant can be used as an egg white substitute.<ref name=":0" />

Botanical gallery

Typically upright and somewhat broad (Austria)
Very tall, narrow example (Germany)
Typical appearance in flower, closer, showing pale clustered flowers with purple centres (England)
Inflorescence, showing pale clustered flowers with purple centres and velvety, shallow-lobed toothy leaves with recessed veins and (if zoomed) soft-haired stem
Flower cluster showing purple anthers and stigmas (Canada)
Filaments join into a column, showing purple anthers and (when zoomed) purple pollen spheres
Flowers, showing purple anthers when unopened (England)
Unopened flower buds from side, showing epicalyces at bud (calyx) bases and velvety plant stem (England)
Unopened flower buds from above, showing tips of epicalyces that are at bud (calyx) base
Fruits, showing hairs on smooth fruit surface
Fruits, showing a cluster
Velvety leaves (Germany)
Leaf, velvety (here slightly)