Malva
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Malva > |
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Read about Malva in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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{{{1}}} The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text. |
- Malva was also an ancient Roman city in present Romania. It is also an alternative spelling for the Indian region and state Malwa.
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 Malva parviflora | ||||||||||||
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| 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].