Malva Moschata ~ All about

Malva moschata is an herbaceous plant of the genus Malva, within the Malvoideae subfamily belonging to the Malvaceae family, is found in much of Europe on roadsides and on both cultivated and uncultivated land.

Malva moschata is a perennial herbaceous plant that develops in zone 3 (can not withstand frost, nor drought conditions). This plant reaches a height of 20 to 60 cm and its upper leaves are palmitiformes. It flowers from July to August, and the seeds mature between August and September.

The flowers are hermaphrodites (they have male and female organs) It has one to three blooms. The flowers are white or soft pink and smell like nutmeg. The five petals are 2 to 2.5 cm in length and with single or double sepals, they have lanceolate bracteolas. They are pollinated by bees, although they can also be self-pollinated.

The fruit is a capsule (schizocarp) formed by several mericarpos (parts that separate at maturity and contain a single seed). The fruit spreads by gravity, falling to the ground when it ripens.

Malva moschata prefers light soils (sandy), medium (marly) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well drained soil. The plant prefers alkaline (and not acidic), neutrophilic and basic soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or in full sun, but requires moist soil. The plant tolerates strong winds but not the proximity of the sea. Plant very abundant in fields of grasslands, meadows of pastures, edges of roads etc. Europe is its place of origin, and it is from the south of England to the North of Africa.

Both raw and cooked leaves have a mild pleasant taste. The leaves are mucilaginous which gives them the smooth taste, they are used abundantly in the summer salads. They make a very good substitute for lettuce in a salad, using fresh leaves that can be harvested from spring to mid-summer, or until autumn on plants that have germinated in spring.
The flowers are also added to the salads where they produce a very decorative effect, in addition to a very mild flavor. The seeds have a nice nutty taste but are small and very entertaining to collect.

All parts of the plant are antiphlogistic, astringent, emollient, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, laxative, these characteristics have made Malva moschata have a great role in traditional folk medicine. The leaves and flowers are the main part that is used, their emollient characteristics make them the object of value as a plaster for bruises, inflammations, insect bites etc, or taken internally in the treatment of diseases of the respiratory system or inflammation of the digestive and urinary system. The leaves and flowers can be eaten as part of the diet, or you can make a tea with its leaves, flowers or with its roots.

Malva moschata has similar characteristics, but is considered to be inferior to common mallow (Malva sylvestris) and marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis) and rarely used internally. The plant is an excellent laxative for children.

Cream, yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the Malva moschata plant and from its seed heads. A fiber obtained from the stems, is used for the production of ropes, textiles, and for making paper.