The author of the text isdr inż. Beata Romanowska
Garden mallow, like field poppy and cornflower, has long been an inseparable element of Polish landscapes.Botanists call it high marshmallow, sometimes pink marshmallow, but the most common names are mallow , black mallow and Althaea rosea. This species is native to the eastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In the 11th century it was a popular ornamental plant in Central Europe, and its unique medicinal value was well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Tall marshmallow is a perennial, but in cultivation it is treated as a two-year (sometimes three-year) plant.In the second year of cultivation, a high, unbranched inflorescence grows from the rosette of leaves, on which huge flowers develop.They attract attention with the richness of colors - from white to black, through pink, yellow, red and purple.Varieties with flowers of different colors are grown as ornamental, while those with black and purple-black are used in medicine, e.g. a variety of long-flowering 'Czarna Mańka'.
The forms with full flowers include: full large - outer petals longer than the inner ones, Scottish - petals of the same length, chetera - flowers densely attached to the stem, and fimbriata floropleno, which has jagged petals.
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Prawoślaz lekarski Althaea officinalis (Photo: Fotolia.com) |
Marshmallow grows best in humus soils and sunny positions protected from winds. It produces fewer flowers in poorer soils. We breed it in April, directly into the ground (1-3 cm deep), by sowing kidney achenes.You can also propagate marshmallow from seedlings planted in May or September, when the seedlings have two to three leaves.It is very important that each propagation material is he althy. One of the most dangerous diseases is rust.
Flowers are the medicinal raw material of mallow. They can be collected with the calyx or just flakes. Harvesting is done by hand every few days for a period of two or three months. Flowers contain 8-12% of mucus, anthocyanin pigments with a beautiful red shade (anti-inflammatory), phytosterols, resins, tannins and mineral s alts.
Locks are a combination of simple sugars and uronic acids, they contain calcium, magnesium, potassium and trace elements (iodine, iron, bromine). Their presence is characteristic of plants from the mallow, linden, flax, and goblet families.They protect, coat and soften the inflammation of the mucous membranes of the mouth, throat, larynx, gastrointestinal tract, stomach and duodenum .
Marshmallow (mallow, mallow) Althaea officinalis - like the other 1,500 species of plants from the marsh family - provides the raw material containing mucilages, which is most often contained in roots and leaves dug up in summer and autumn, and collected before flowering plants.Their aqueous extracts are an indispensable antitussive and protective agent used in colds and constipation (they can be given even to babies).
Marshmallow is a perennial (cultivated for 4-5 years). In the first year, it produces a rosette of leaves, and in the second, inflorescence shoots. It occurs all over Europe.
The sugar-rich roots and leaves of marshmallow have also been used as a vegetable for centuries. The ancient Romans added it to barley soup, and in Old Polish cuisine it replaced parsley.
Another representative of the mallow family, growing in the temperate zone, is wild mallow, also called forest mallow, hare mallow, and also wild mallow Malva silvestris L.. It has purple flowers with darker veins, blooms profusely from June to September, most often in meadows and along roads.It also looks great in the garden, in places with medium and light soils, as it does not tolerate wet soils.It reproduces easily by sowing achenes (to a depth of about 1 cm), done late in fall or early spring.
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Ślaz piżmowy Malva moschata (Photo: Fotolia.com) |
Wild mallow, like marshmallow, is a phytotherapeutic agent. Flowers and leaves, which are medicinal raw materials, are harvested by hand, without stalks, throughout the summer.
Malva moschata musk is shorter than the previous species - it is about 60 cm. It grows in sunny places, it also tolerates partial shade. Its pink or white flowers open in mid-summer and continue to bloom until fall. The leaves have a musky scent when rubbed. Lavatera thuringiaca L. is a popular perennial in the lowland regions of the country.It has pale pink flowers with light blue veins. It blooms from July to September.Its shoots are covered with star-shaped hairs, which gives them a gray-blue appearance. Mallow reaches 50-130 cm.
The cosmetics industry eagerly uses mucilaginous plants, because the mucilages they contain soften, soothe and refresh the skin, which is why they are added, among others, to: for creams and masks.
Other known species belong to the Malvaceae family, mainly grown in warm regions of the world (Gossypium cotton). They are herbaceous, but also include shrubs and trees.Cotton-grown fiber is seed hair in the shape of a twisted ribbon (it is collected when the capsule breaks).Cotton flowers bloom in white, yellow, pink and red.
One Year Old Sorrel Hibiscus sabdariffa is as popular as cotton, growing in Asia and Africa.The herbal raw material is hibiscus, which is often added to herbal teas. marshmallow) in July and August.
