Mallow

mallow, common name for members of the Malvaceae, a family of herbs and shrubs distributed over most of the world and especially abundant in the American tropics. Tropical species sometimes grow as small trees. The family is characterized by often mucilaginous sap and by showy, five-part flowers with a prominent column of fused stamens. The true mallows (genus Malva) are native to north temperate regions of the Old World, although many species have escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in the United States. North American species, sometimes cultivated and most common in the South and West, include the false mallows (genus Malvastrum) and the rose, or swamp, mallows (genus Hibiscus) found in marshy areas across the country. Introduced species of hibiscus include the rose of Sharon, or shrubby althea (H. syriacus), a popular ornamental bush or small tree native to Asia, and okra, or gumbo (H. esculentus), native to Africa, whose mucilaginous pods are used as a vegetable and in soups and stews. Alothea is an Old World genus. The hollyhock (A. rosea), the most popular ornamental of the family, is a Chinese perennial now widely naturalized and cultivated as a biennial or annual in many varieties of diverse colors. A. officinalis is the marsh mallow, a name sometimes used also for the larger-blossomed rose mallows. The root of the true marsh mallow, a native of Europe, has been used medicinally. It was formerly used for the confection marshmallow, which is now usually made from syrup, gelatin, and other ingredients. The tropical and subtropical flowering maple genus Abutilon, named for the maplelike foliage of some species, includes several house and bedding ornamentals. Some Asian species yield a fiber known as China jute—e.g., the velvetweed (A. theophrasti), called also Indian mallow and velvetleaf for the texture of its foliage. This plant, introduced to the United States as an ornamental, has become a noxious weed. Economically, the most important plant in the family is cotton (genus Gossypium), with species native to both the Old and New World and cultivated independently in both areas from early times. The mallow family is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Malvales.

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mallow

1. any plant of the malvaceous genus Malva, esp M. sylvestris of Europe, having purple, pink, or white flowers

2. any of various related plants, such as the marsh mallow, rose mallow, Indian mallow, and tree mallow

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mallow

traditional symbol of gentleness or mildness. [Plant Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 175]

See : Gentleness

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Mallow

any one plant of the genus Malva of the family Malvaceae. It is an annual, biennial, or perennial grass with long-petiolate leaves. The flowers, which are axillary and in small groups, are purple, lilac, pink, or white. The calyx has an epicalyx. The ripened fruit breaks into monospermous segments. There are approximately 40 species, distributed in the temperate and, less commonly, subtropical zones of the northern hemisphere. About 20 species are found in the USSR, primarily near dwellings and in gardens and parks; they also grow as weeds among crops, in deserts, and sometimes in thickets and light forests.

High mallow (Malva sylvestris), dwarf mallow (M. neglecta), M. mauritiana, curled mallow (M. crispa) and other species contain carotene and vitamin C, and their leaves and young shoots are used for food. The flowers and leaves of high mallow, which are rich in mucilage, have been used as a tincture for many years to treat inflammations and irritations of the mucous membrane. A dye for wool and wine is obtained from the flowers. The species M. meluca yields a coarse fiber suitable for making string, twine, and hemp; its seeds contain a semidrying oil. Certain species of mallow yield nectar. Musk mallow (M. moschata), M. mauritiana, and M. alcea are cultivated as ornamentals. Some annual varieties that are used as animal feed are known as fodder mallows. Sometimes one species of hollyhock is called mallow.

T. V. EGOROVA

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Mallow

several common wild plant species of the genus Malva. The best-known species are M. sylvestris, M. neglecta, and M. crispa; ornamental mallows include M. mauritiana and M.moschata.