''Althaea'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of herbaceous

perennial plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...

s native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It includes '' Althaea officinalis'', also known as the marshmallow plant, whence the fluffy confection got its name. They are found on the banks of

rivers A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...

and in

salt marsh A salt marsh, saltmarsh or salting, also known as a coastal salt marsh or a tidal marsh, is a coastal ecosystem in the upper coastal intertidal zone between land and open saltwater or brackish water that is regularly flooded by the tides. I ...

es, preferring moist, sandy

soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...

s. The stems grow to 1–2 m tall, and

flower Flowers, also known as blooms and blossoms, are the reproductive structures of flowering plants ( angiosperms). Typically, they are structured in four circular levels, called whorls, around the end of a stalk. These whorls include: calyx, m ...

in mid summer. The

leaves A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, ...

are palmately lobed with 3–7 lobes. ''Althaea'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including '' Bucculatrix quadrigemina''.

Species

The genus formerly included a number of additional species now treated in the genus '' Alcea'' (hollyhocks). , ''

Plants of the World Online Plants of the World Online (POWO) is an online taxonomic database published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. History Following the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew launched Plants of the World Online i ...

'' accepts the following species: *'' Althaea armeniaca'' Ten. *'' Althaea bertramii'' Post & Beauverd *'' Althaea cannabina'' L. *'' Althaea damascena'' Mouterde *'' Althaea hiri'' Parsa *'' Althaea octaviae'' Evenari *'' Althaea officinalis'' L. *'' Althaea oppenheimii'' Ulbr. *'' Althaea villosa'' Blatt.

Chemical constituents

The root contains starch (37%), mucilage (11%), pectin (11%), flavonoids, phenolic acids, sucrose, and asparagine.

Uses

The traditional medicinal uses of the plant are reflected in the name of the genus, which comes from the Greek ''althainein'', meaning "to heal". The flowers and young leaves can be eaten, and are often added to salads or are boiled and fried. The roots and stem also secrete mucilage, which is used to soften the skin, and is used in cosmetic treatments. The Roman poet

Horace Quintus Horatius Flaccus (; 8 December 65 BC – 27 November 8 BC), Suetonius, Life of Horace commonly known in the English-speaking world as Horace (), was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus (also known as Octavian). Th ...

refers to his own diet in his Odes, which he describes as very simple: "As for me, olives, endives, and smooth mallows provide sustenance." The root has been used since Egyptian antiquity in a honey-sweetened confection useful in the treatment of sore throat. The root's emulsifying property is used for cleaning Persian carpets in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. It is regarded as the best method to preserve the vibrancy of vegetable dyes used in coloring the carpet's wool.

Gallery

File:Althaea officinalis habitus.jpeg, ''A. officinalis'' File:Althaea officinalis0.jpg, ''A. officinalis''

Notes

References

*''Medicinal Plants of the World: Chemical Constituents, Traditional and Modern Medicinal Uses'' by Ivan A. Ross.

External links

Flora Europaea: ''Althaea''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Althaea (Genus) Malveae Malvaceae genera