Malvaceae FAMILY

Althaea officinalis

Edibility

3/5

Medicinal

5/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Althaea officinalis is a herbaceous, perennial plant producing a cluster of unbranched or lightly-branched stems 60 - 150cm tall from a rhizomatous rootstock with rather fleshy, thickish roots[ 74 Title Flora of the USSR. Publication Author Komarov. V. L. Website http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org Publisher Israel Program for Scientific Translation Year 1968 ISBN - Description An immense (25 or more large volumes) and not yet completed translation of the Russian flora. Full of information on plant uses and habitats but heavy going for casual readers. It can be downloaded from the Internet. ]. Marsh mallow has a long history of use as a medicine, food and source of various materials.It is still commonly used, especially for medicinal purposes and is often cultivated in the herb garden and also commercially. The roots were at one time the source of the sweet 'marsh mallow', but this sweet is now made without using the plant[ 4 Title A Modern Herbal. Publication Author Grieve. Publisher Penguin Year 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 Description Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants. ]. The plant is sometimes grown in the ornamental garden.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEurope - Denmark to Spain, east to the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Greece; through Asia to eastern Siberia and Pakistan; Africa - Algeria, Tunisia

HabitatThe upper margins of salt and brackish marshes, sides of ditches and grassy banks near the sea[ 7 Title Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. Publication Author Chiej. R. Publisher MacDonald Year 1984 ISBN 0-356-10541-5 Description Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs. , 17 Title Flora of the British Isles. Publication Author Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. Publisher Cambridge University Press Year 1962 ISBN - Description A very comprehensive flora, the standard reference book but it has no pictures. ].