Common Marshmallow, Marshmallow
Altea, Malvaísco
proskurník lékarský Hocys y Morfa
officina altea
yao kuiAlthaea armeniaca Ten.
Althaea cannabina L.
Althaea officinalis L.
Althaea taurinensis L.
There is disagreement on the classification of the perennial marshamallows. The common marshmallow, Althaea officinalis, and the hemp-leaved marshmallow, Althaea cannabina, both of which are regularly grown in gardens, are universally recognised. Althaea taurinensis is usually considered a hybrid of the former two species, but is given as a species in Flora Iranica. Krebs [1] and INRA [2] consider Althaea armeniaca to be a synonym of Althaea taurinensis, but it is recognised as a distinct species in Flora Europaea [3], Flora Iranica [4] and the Flora of Turkey [5]. As the hybrid Althaea officinalis × cannabina would be triploid, and hence would be expected to be sterile, and as seed of Althaea armeniaca is commercially available from several sources, I lean towards the latter position.
Althaea officinalis L. Common Marshmallow, Marshmallow guimauve, guimauve officinale, guimauve sauvage, mauve blanche
Malví
Altea, Malvaísco Altea comune, Bismalva, Bonavischio, Malvavischio
nalba, nalba alba, nalba buna, nalba de cimp, nalba de lunca, ruja
Eibisch, Eibisch Samtpappel, Samtpappel, Althee, Ibischwurz, Heilwurz, Weiße Malve, Adewurz, Schleimwurzel
läkemalva
Rohtosalkoruusu
harilik altee
Lěkarska popla
prawoślaz lekarski
proskurník lékarský ibiš konopovitý, ibiš lekársky
slez, ajbiš
bijeli sljez, ljekoviti bijeli sljez
beli slez, Бели слез
Алтей лекарственный
Алте́я лі́карська
vaistinė svilarožė
ārstniecības alteja
fehér mályva, orvozi ziliz
Mëllaga mjekësore
Hocys y Morfa officina altea yao kui
Althaea officinalis is an erect perennial
reaching 1.5m in height. The young stems and foliage are softly
stellate-tomentose. The leaves are shallowly 3-5 lobed (unlobed in first
season). The petals are pale pink, or, rarely, white, in colour, and 15-20 mm
long.
Althaea officinalis is distributed principally in Mediterranean Europe (excluding coastal regions of Turkey in Europe, southern Greece, the southern tip of Sicily, and Murcia), the Balkans (excluding the Carpathian Mountains), and in the steppe zone of eastern Europe and west central Asia. It is also found in coastal regions of Atlantic Europe as far as southern Ireland, southern England and Holland (but is absent from northwest Iberia), and is naturalised in other parts of western Europe. There are outlying populations in eastern Algeria, southwest Turkey, Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
Althaea officinalis has a chromosome count of 42.
Synonyms of Althaea officinalis include Althaea balearica Rodrigeuz, Althaea kragujevacensis Pan., Althaea micrantha Wiesb. ex Borbas, Althaea officinalis var. obtusifolia , Althaea sublobata Stokes, Althaea taurinensis DC., Althaea vulgaris Bubani, Malva althaea E.H.L.Krause, Malva althaea F.W.Schultz, Malva maritima Salisb. and Malva officinalis (L.) Schimper & Spenner.
Cultivars:
'Alba': a white-flowered form.
'Romney Marsh': pink flowers in dense terminal clusters.
'Roussalka': a selected (for mucilage production?) form with an upright habit.
Althaea cannabina L. hemp-leaved marshmallow Guimauve faux chanvre, Guimauve à feuilles de chanvre, Guimauve à feuilles de cannabis
malví canemer
Altea canapina, Malva canapina
hampmalva
kanepaltee
prawoślaz konopiowaty
kopljasti bijeli sljez
Althaea cannabina is found in southern and
central Europe, southern Russia, Caucasia, north and northwest Iran, and
Turkestan.
Althaea cannabina is a tall perennial regularly exceeding 1 m in height. (I have seen cultivated specimens well in excess of 2 m.) The stems are erect with an indumentum of small stellate hairs. The leaves are 3-5-lobed almost to the base, with oblong to lanceolate deeply toothed segments. They have stellate hairs on both surfaces. The inflorescence is borne in the leaf axils and is both fasciculate and penduculate, each peduncle bearing one or two flowers. The sepals are 5-6 mm long, and acuminate at the apex. The petals are 11-16 mm long, and pink in colour. The fruit is a schizocarp, composed of single-seeded mericarps. The mericarps are rugose, and hairless.
A variety with less divided leaves with broader segments was named as Althaea kotschyi Boiss., but this intergrades with the typical forms. [5]
The chromosome count is 84.
Synonyms of Althaea cannabina include Althaea cannabina ssp. narbonensis (Cav.) Nyman, Althaea kotschyi Boiss. and Althaea narbonensis Pourr..
Althaea armeniaca Ten. Armenische Malve
armeenia altee
proskurník arménský
Althaea armeniaca is found in southern Russia, Caucasia, northern Iran, Transcaspia and Turkestan
Althaea armeniaca is a tall perennial herb, with villous stems. The leaves are deeply divided into 3 lobes (but not divided to the base) with ovate-lanceolate lobes, the cetnral lobe being longer than the others. The leaf margins are toothed. The leaf surfaces have a villous indumentum of stellate-hairs. The flowers are borne on multi-flowered peduncles. The petals are about 15 mm long, and red in colour. The mericarps have a rough surface and pilose covering of stellate hairs.
Synonyms of Althaea armeniaca include Althaea broussonetiifolia Iljin, Althaea multiflora Rchb. and Althaea taurinensis C.A.Mey.
Althaea taurinensis L. prawoślaz taurydzki
Synonyms of Althaea taurinensis include Althaea macrantha Wiesb. and Althaea pavisii Gu.
References
© 2006, 2008 Stewart Robert Hinsley