Malva
Malva was also an ancient Roman city in present Romania. It is also an alternative spelling for the Indian region and state Malwa, and the pseudonym of Syrian artist Omar Hamdi.
Malva is a genus of about 25–30 species of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae (of which it is the type genus), 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.
The colour mauve was in 1859 named after the French name for this plant.
Cultivation and uses
Several species are widely grown as garden flowers, while some are invasive weeds, particularly in the Americas where they are not native.
Many species are edible as leaf vegetables. Malva verticillata (Chinese: 冬寒菜; pinyin: dōngháncài, Korean: 동규자」is grown on a limited commercial scale in China; when made as a herbal infusion, it is used for its colon cleansing properties and as a weight loss supplement.
Very easily grown, short-lived perennials often grown as ornamental plants. Mild tasting young mallow leaves can be a substitute for lettuce, whereas older leaves are better cooked as a leafy green vegetable. The buds and flowers can be used in salads.
Cultivation is by sowing the seeds directly outdoors in early spring. The seed is 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"). 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.
Mallow, which grows wild in Israel, was widely used as a source of nourishment in wartime and periods of austerity. Known as hubeza, it was used in salads, soups and other dishes
Species list
Malva aegyptia
Malva alcea L.-- Greater Musk-mallow, vervain mallow
Malva assurgentiflora
Malva brasiliensis Desr. -- Brazilian mallow
Malva canariensis
Malva cretica
Malva dendromorpha -- Tree Mallow
Malva hispanica
Malva microcarpa
Malva microphylla
Malva mohileviensis
Malva moschata L. -- Musk-mallow
Malva neglecta - Dwarf Mallow. buttonweed, cheeseplant, cheeseweed, common mallow, roundleaf mallow
Malva nicaeensis All. - French Mallow, bull mallow
Malva oxyloba
Malva pacifica
Malva parviflora L. -- Least Mallow, cheeseweed, cheeseweed mallow, small-whorl mallow
Malva preissiana - Australian Hollyhock
Malva pseudolavatera
Malva pusilla - Small Mallow
Malva qaiseri
Malva rotundifolia L. -- low mallow, Malva rotundifolia
Malva sinensis
Malva stipulacea
Malva sylvestris L. -- Common Mallow, high mallow
Malva tournefortiana
Malva trifida
Malva verticillata L. -- Chinese Mallow, cluster mallow
Malva wigandii
Sources:
Translation
The word "Malva" occurs as such in the following languages: English, Catalan, Esperanto, French, Portuguese.
Translation(s) in other languages: German: Malven, Danish: Katost, Spanish: Malva (género), Persian: پنیرک, Upper Sorbian: Šlěz, Italian: Malva (botanica), Hebrew: חלמית, Georgian: ბალბა, Lithuanian: Dedešva, Dutch: Kaasjeskruid, Norwegian (Bokmål): Kattoster, Polish: Ślaz, Quechua: Malwa, Russian: Мальва, Slovenian: Slezenovec, Finnish: Malvat, Swedish: Malvor, Ukrainian: Мальва, Chinese: 锦葵属.
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