''Malva'' is a genus of herbaceous annual plant, annual, biennial plant, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae. It is one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, Subtropics, subtropical and Tropics, tropical regions of Africa, Asia and Europe. The leaves are alternate, palmately lobed. The flowers are from 0.5–5 cm diameter, with five pink, lilac, purple or white petals.

Etymology

The word "mallow" is derived from Old English "mealwe", which was imported from Latin "malva", cognate with Ancient Greek μαλάχη (malakhē) meaning "mallow", both perhaps reflecting a Mediterranean term. The colour mauve was in 1859 named after the French language, French name for this plant.

Uses

Ornamental plant

Several species are widely grown as garden flowers. Very easily grown, short-lived perennials are often grown as ornamental plants.

Food

Many species are edible as leaf vegetables and commonly foraged in the West. Known as ''ebegümeci'' in Turkish language, Turkish, it is used as vegetable in Turkey in various forms such as stuffing the leaves with bulgur or rice or using the boiled leaves as side dish. ''Malva verticillata'' (, Korean script, Korean: ''auk'') is grown on a limited commercial scale in China; when made as a herbal infusion, it is used for its colon cleansing properties and as a weight loss supplement. In the Levant, ''Malva nicaeensis'' leaves and fruit are used as food (e.g., khubeza patties). Mild tasting, young mallow leaves can be a substitute for lettuce, whereas older leaves are better cooked as a leafy green vegetable. The buds and flowers can be used in salads. Small fruits that grow on the plants can also be eaten raw. Bodos of Northeast India cultivate a subspecies of ''Malva'' called lapha and use it extensively in their traditional cuisine, although its use is not much known among other people of India except in the northern Indian state of Kashmir where ''Malva'' leaves are a highly cherished vegetable dish. It is called "Soachal".

Medical use

In Catalonia (Spain) they use the leaves to cure the sting or paresthesia of the stinging nettle (''Urtica dioica''). Leaves of various species ''Malva'' have been used in traditional Austrian medicine internally as tea or externally as baths for treatment of disorders of the skin, gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. The leaves can also be chewed to soothe coughs or sore throats.

Cultivation

Cultivation is by sowing the seeds directly outdoors in early spring. The seed is easy to collect, and they will often spread themselves by seed. Some ''Malva'' species are invasive species, invasive weeds, particularly in the Americas where they are not native.

History

This plant is one of the earliest cited in recorded literature. The third century BC physician Diphilus (physician), Diphilus of Siphnus wrote that "[mallow] juice lubricates the windpipe, nourishes, and is easily digested." Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, / me cichorea levesque malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance"). Lord Monboddo describes his translation of an ancient epigram that demonstrates ''Malva'' was planted upon the graves of the ancients, stemming from the belief that the dead could feed on such perfect plants.Letter from Monboddo to John Hope, 29 April 1779; reprinted by William Knight 1900 .

Species

The following species are accepted: *''Malva acerifolia'' (Cav.) Alef. *''Malva × adulterina'' Wallr. *''Malva aegyptia'' L. *''Malva aethiopica'' C.J.S.Davis *''Malva agrigentina'' (Tineo) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso *''Malva alcea'' L. – greater musk-mallow, vervain mallow *''Malva arborea'' (L.) Webb & Berthel. *''Malva × arbosii'' Sennen *''Malva assurgentiflora'' (Kellogg) M.F.Ray – island mallow, mission mallow, royal mallow, island tree mallow *''Malva bucharica'' Iljin *''Malva cachemiriana'' (Cambess.) Alef. *''Malva cavanillesiana'' Raizada *''Malva × clementii'' (Cheek) Stace *''Malva × columbretensis'' (Juan & M.B.Crespo) Juan & M.B.Crespo *''Malva cretica'' Cav. *''Malva durieui'' Spach *''Malva × egarensis'' Cadevall *''Malva flava'' (Desf.) Alef. *''Malva hispanica'' L. *''Malva × inodora'' Ponert *''Malva × intermedia'' Boreau *''Malva leonardii'' I.Riedl *''Malva lindsayi'' (Moran) M.F.Ray *''Malva × litoralis'' Dethard. ex Rchb. *''Malva longiflora'' (Boiss. & Reut.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso *''Malva ludwigii'' (L.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso *''Malva lusitanica'' (L.) Valdés *''Malva maroccana'' (Batt. & Trab.) Verloove & Lambinon *''Malva microphylla'' (Baker f.) Molero & J.M.Monts. *''Malva moschata'' L. – musk-mallow *''Malva multiflora'' (Cav.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso *''Malva neglecta'' Wallr. – dwarf mallow, buttonweed, cheeseplant, cheeseweed, common mallow, roundleaf mallow *''Malva nicaeensis'' All. – French mallow, bull mallow *''Malva oblongifolia'' (Boiss.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso *''Malva occidentalis'' (S.Watson) M.F.Ray *''Malva olbia'' (L.) Alef. *''Malva oxyloba'' Boiss. *''Malva pacifica'' M.F.Ray *''Malva pamiroalaica'' Iljin *''Malva parviflora'' L. – least mallow, cheeseweed, cheeseweed mallow, small-whorl mallow *''Malva phoenicea'' (Vent.) Alef. *''Malva preissiana'' Miq. – Australian hollyhock *''Malva punctata'' (All.) Alef. *''Malva pusilla'' Sm. – small mallow *''Malva qaiseri'' Abedin *''Malva setigera'' K.F.Schimp. & Spenn. *''Malva stenopetala'' (Coss. & Durieu ex Batt.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso *''Malva stipulacea'' Cav. *''Malva subovata'' (DC.) Molero & J.M.Monts. *''Malva sylvestris'' L. – common mallow, high mallow *''Malva × tetuanensis'' Pau *''Malva thuringiaca'' (L.) Vis. *''Malva tournefortiana'' L. *''Malva trimestris'' (L.) Salisb. *''Malva unguiculata'' (Desf.) Alef. *''Malva valdesii'' (Molero & J.M.Monts.) Soldano, Banfi & Galasso *''Malva verticillata'' L. – Chinese mallow, cluster mallow *''Malva vidalii'' (Pau) Molero & J.M.Monts. *''Malva waziristanensis'' Blatt. *''Malva weinmanniana'' (Besser ex Rchb.) Conran *''Malva xizangensis'' Y.S.Ye, L.Fu & D.X.Duan

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q147325 Malva, Malvaceae genera