Where do marshmallows come from?
By Chelsie Vandaveer
July 8, 2002
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The guimauve or marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis Linnaeus) is native to wet meadows, river banks, and salt marshes of Europe. The leaves and roots were used medicinally since ancient Greece and Rome. The generic name derives from the Greek althos
meaning heal.
In The Herbal (1633), John Gerard called it, Althaea Ibiscus, "The leaves of Marsh Mallow are of the power to digest, mitigate paine, and to concoct: ...good effect mixed with fomentations and pultesses (poultices) against paines....The mucilage or slimie juice of the roots, is mixed very effectually with all oils, ointments, and plaisters that slacken...paine. The roots boiled in wine and given...to drinke...helpe... sciatica, crampes, and convulsions."
In A Modern Herbal (1931), Mrs. Grieve relates "All mallows contain abundant mucilage, and the Arab physicians in early times used the leaves as a poultice to suppress inflammation." The plant was also known as mortification root, "...powdered or crushed fresh roots make a good poultice that will remove the most
obstinate inflammation and prevent mortification (infection, gangrene)."
The ready availability of marsh mallows made the plants a popular home remedy. Mrs. Grieve explains, "on account of their soothing qualities, are still much used by country people for inflammation...and are used for lozenge-making. French druggists and English sweetmeat-makers prepare a confectionary paste (Paté de Guimauve) from the roots of Marsh Mallow, which is emollient and soothing to a sore chest, and valuable in coughs and hoarseness."
The modern confection though, is simply whipped sugars with gelatin and tetrasodium pyrophosphate. Having lost all medicinal uses, the marshmallow appears only designed to be burned around campfires.
Den Virtuella Floran has photographs of the marsh mallow taken by Anna-Lena Anderberg and Jan Thomas Johansson. To view the photographs, click on the link:
http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/malva/altha/althoff.html
Click on each thumbnail to enlarge the image.
killerPlants Tendrils: ~~1~~2~~3~~4~~5~~
Suggested Reading:
What are Priscilla hollyhocks? Herbal Folklore - April 29, 2002
Caesarweed (Urena lobata Linnaeus) Plant of the Week - October 25, 2004
What was the tree-wool of India? Plants that Changed History - February 19, 2002
What is the Mayan cotton tale? Plants that Changed History - March 12, 2002
What are the African connections to American cotton? Plants that Changed History - March 5, 2002
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Gurney's Seed and Nursery®
The Miniature Hollyhock.
Gorgeously ruffled carmine blooms appear all through the summer on the Red Prairie Mallow. Sturdy 30-inch stems--no staking needed. Makes a bright accent for borders and arrangements. Butterflies visit often. Best in full to partial sun. Cut back after blooming to encourage rebloom.
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Country Mix Hollyhocks
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Alcea rosea
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Double Hollyhock Mix
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Unique Characteristics: Grown for their inflorescences of large fully double blooms that appear on short stalks along the tall slender stems.
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