MARSHMALLOW
Latin: Althaea officinalis, Althaea armeniaca
Latvian: Alteja
German: Echter Eibisch
Swedish: läkemalva
Estonian: harilik alttee
Lithuanian: vaistinė svilarožė
Russian: алтей лекарственный
DESCRIPTION
Perennial, large (60-160 cm) annual plant of the mallow family. The stem is erect,
few branches, densely hairy with simple hairs and stellate hairs. The leaves are
trilobed heart-shaped (lenght 4-7 cm, width 3-5 cm), lobes very shallow. The plate is
densely covered with soft, silky hairs on both sides, the edge is serrated. Petals are
small (about 1 cm in diameter), linear. The flowers are large (Ø up to 8 cm), one by
one or in small bunches in leaf axils starting from the middle of the stem. There are
7-10 hairy outer calyx leaves that are fused at the base. Calyx nearly twice as long
as outer calyx. Petals are very light, pale pink, inverted egg-shaped, usually slightly
overlapping each other. Fruit - a drupe of about 20 drupes. Blooms from July to
September.
The homeland of the plant is most likely Pakistan, the eastern coast of the
Mediterranean, the Black Sea region. Perennial plant 1.5 meters high. The plant has
practically no smell. The flowers contain an essential oil whose aroma resembles
that of valerian roots. Sweet - sulphurous taste.
Blooms in June, July and early August. The name comes from the Greek word
"alcea" - healing. The healing properties of the plant were already known in the
ancient world. It is interesting that after many hundreds of years, the methods and
purposes of using the plant have practically not changed.
COLLECTION
Collect flowers and leaves in summer; when it blooms and the perennials die -
collect the roots. The bark is not removed from the roots, as it contains healing
substances. In order to obtain good quality drugs try to dry them as soon as possible
in a shady place. The plant contains about 35% mucilage. Althea root belongs to the
typical healing agents in the mucilaginous group. In terms of the substances they
contain, they are almost equivalent to linseeds. Mucous substances promote cell
self-renewal, reduce inflammatory processes.
USE OF
In scientific medicine, it is used as an expectorant. Altea preparations have a
softening, anti-inflammatory effect.
The active substances of the plant protect the nerve endings of the mouth, throat,
stomach mucosa from irritation, promote slower local absorption of medications and
thus increase the exposure time.
It is used in cases of respiratory diseases, diarrhea, acute gastritis, enterocolitis,
ulcers of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract.
EFFECT/SAFETY OF USE
Application in folk medicine https://www.fitoterapija.lv/plant/alteja-arstjenica-althaea-
officinalis-l-alteja-malva-meza-roza-althaea-rosea-l/
Augu katalogs ir tapis ar Eiropas Savienības finansiālu atbalstu Pārrobežu sadarbības programmas 2014.–2020. gadam projekta LVIII-062 “Versts of Feelings 2” ietvaros
