Althaea (plant)

src: greatescapefarms.com

Althaea is a genus of 6-12 species of perennial plant native to Europe, North Africa and West Asia. These include Althaea officinalis , also known as the marshmallow plant, from which fine conjection gets its name. They are found on the banks of rivers and in salt marshes, preferring wet and sandy soils. Stems grow up to 1-2 m high, and flowers in mid-summer. The leaves are smeared with palmate 3-7 lobes. Althaea species are used as food crops by larvae of several species of Lepidoptera including Bucculatrix quadrigemina .

Video Althaea (plant)

Species

The previous genus included a number of additional species currently being treated in the genus Alcea (hollyhock).

Maps Althaea (plant)

Chemical constituents

Its roots contain starch (37%), mucus (11%), pectin (11%), flavonoids, phenolic acids, sucrose, and asparagin.

src: www.lewisginter.org

Usage

The use of traditional crops is reflected in the genus name, which comes from the Greek althainein , which means "to heal".

Young flowers and leaves are edible, and often added to salads or boiled and fried. Roots and stems also release mucus, which is used to soften the skin, and is used in cosmetic treatments.

The Roman poet Horace refers to his own diet in his Odes, which he describes as very simple: "As for me, olives, endives, and delicate mallows provide sustenance."

Roots have been used since ancient Egypt in a candied honey that is beneficial in the treatment of sore throats. The French version of the recipe, called pÃÆ' Â ¢ te de guimauve (or "guimauve" for short), includes meringue eggwhite and is often flavored with rose water. PÃÆ' Â ¢ te de guimauve is more like a commercially available contemporary marshmallow, which no longer contains the actual marshmallows.

Root emulsifying properties are used to clean Persian rugs in the Middle East. It is considered the best method to maintain the spirit of vegetable coloring used to color carpet rugs.

src: www.brc.ac.uk

Gallery

src: www.brc.ac.uk

Note

src: www.freenatureimages.eu

References

• World Medicinal Plants: Chemical Constituents, Traditional and Modern Medicinal Use by Ivan A. Ross.

src: c8.alamy.com

External links

• Flora Europaea: Althaea

Source of the article : Wikipedia