Difference between revisions of "Malva"
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| + | {{SPlantbox | ||
| + | |genus=Malva | ||
| + | |Min ht metric=cm | ||
| + | |Temp Metric=°F | ||
| + | |jumpin=This is the plant information box - for information on light; water; zones; height; etc. If it is mostly empty you can help grow this page by clicking on the edit tab and filling in the blanks! | ||
| + | |image=Upload.png | ||
| + | |image_width=240 | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | {{Inc| | ||
| + | Malva (old Latin name from Greek, referring to the emollient lvs.). Malvaceae. Various annual, biennial and perennial herbs, of considerable use in ornamental plantings. | ||
| + | |||
| + | From numerous allied genera, Malva is distinguished by the carpels in a single whorl: ovules solitary, ascending: bractlets 3, distinct: carpels not beaked or appendagcd within. They are hirsute or nearly glabrous plants: lvs. angled, lobed or dissected: fls. solitary in the axils, or clustered, sessile or peduncled; petals 5, notched at the apex.— Species in the neighborhood of 30, in Eu., N. Afr., Asia; several are naturalized in N. Amer.—Few of the mallows are generally in the trade. The most common one is M. moschata, although M. crispa is frequently seen in gardens for its tall striking growth. They require no special cultural treatment. The genus has been more closely defined in recent time, and some of the plants that belong in Callirhoe, Malvastrum,and Sphaeralcea are still likely to be listed under Malva. | ||
| + | }} | ||
| + | |||
: ''Malva was also an ancient [[Romula|Roman city]] in present Romania. It is also an alternative spelling for the Indian region and state [[Malwa]].'' | : ''Malva was also an ancient [[Romula|Roman city]] in present Romania. It is also an alternative spelling for the Indian region and state [[Malwa]].'' | ||
{{Taxobox | {{Taxobox | ||
Revision as of 11:18, 29 December 2009
|
Malva > |
This is the plant information box - for information on light; water; zones; height; etc. If it is mostly empty you can help grow this page by clicking on the edit tab and filling in the blanks!"This is the plant information box - for information on light; water; zones; height; etc. If it is mostly empty you can help grow this page by clicking on the edit tab and filling in the blanks!" is not in the list (If this plant info box on watering; zones; height; etc. is mostly empty you can click on the edit tab and fill in the blanks!) of allowed values for the "Jump in" property.
Read about Malva in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
|
|---|
|
Malva (old Latin name from Greek, referring to the emollient lvs.). Malvaceae. Various annual, biennial and perennial herbs, of considerable use in ornamental plantings. From numerous allied genera, Malva is distinguished by the carpels in a single whorl: ovules solitary, ascending: bractlets 3, distinct: carpels not beaked or appendagcd within. They are hirsute or nearly glabrous plants: lvs. angled, lobed or dissected: fls. solitary in the axils, or clustered, sessile or peduncled; petals 5, notched at the apex.— Species in the neighborhood of 30, in Eu., N. Afr., Asia; several are naturalized in N. Amer.—Few of the mallows are generally in the trade. The most common one is M. moschata, although M. crispa is frequently seen in gardens for its tall striking growth. They require no special cultural treatment. The genus has been more closely defined in recent time, and some of the plants that belong in Callirhoe, Malvastrum,and Sphaeralcea are still likely to be listed under Malva.
|
- Malva was also an ancient Roman city in present Romania. It is also an alternative spelling for the Indian region and state Malwa.
| Malva | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Malva parviflora | ||||||||||||
| Plant Info | ||||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||
| About 25 species, including: Malva alcea - Hollyhock Mallow |
Malva is a genus of about 25 species of herbaceous plants in the family Malvaceae (named after it), one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, subtropical and 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 or white petals.
Several species are widely grown as garden flowers, while some are invasive weeds, particularly in the Americas where they are not native.
Malva species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Grizzled Skipper.
Many species are edible as leaf vegetables. M. verticillata (Template:Zh-cp, Korean=동규자) is grown on a limited commercial scale in China. Malva verticillata, when made as an herbal infusion, is used for its colon cleansing properties and as a weight loss supplement.
Very easily grown, short-lived perennials often grown as ornamentals. Mild tasting young mallow leaves make a very good lettuce substitute, whereas older leaves are better cooked as a leafy green vegetable. Use the flowers that are produced in profusion in salads. Sow directly outdoors in early spring. The seed is very easy to collect, and they will often spread themselves by seed.
History
This plant is one of the earliest cited in recorded literature. Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance.")[1]. 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[2].
