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Althaea officinalis L.
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English Name |
Marshmallow, Marsh Mallow |
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Latin name |
Althaea officinalis L. |
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Family & Genus |
Malvaceae, Althaea |
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Description |
Perennial herbs, ca. 1m tall. Stem erect, densely stellate long coarse hairs. Leaves ovate or wide ovate, usually non-dividing, few 3 lobed, 3-8cm long, 1.5-6cm wide, base nearly cordate to round, apex blunt acute, margin with serrations, densely stellate hairs on both sides; petioles 1-4cm long, densely stellate hairs; stipules small, bar-shaped, ca. 0.5cm long; 9 small bracts of involucres, lanceolate, ca. 4mm long, densely stellate coarse hairs; calyx cup-shaped, 5 lobed, lobes lanceolate, longer than bracts, densely stellate coarse hairs; corolla diameter ca. 2.5cm, pale red, petals 5, ca. 1.5mm long, obovoid-oblong; stamens numerous, filaments fused into tube; carpels numerous. Fruits discoidal, diameter 6-8mm, each carpel separate from middle axis upon maturation. Seeds reniform, red-brown, 2mm long. Flowering: June –August, fruiting: August to September. |
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Distribution |
Growing by farmlands, roadsides and waste fields. Mainly distributed in Xinjiang and introduced for cultivation in botanical gardens in Beijing, Nanjing, Kunming, Xian and etc. |
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Part Used |
Medical part: roots. Chinese name: Yaoshukui. |
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Harvest & Processing |
Excavated in spring, autumn, sliced, and sun-dried. |
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Chemistry |
Mainly contains phlegm and pectic substance, etc. |
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Properties & Actions |
Sweet, warm.Relieving exterior syndrome for dispersing cold, disinhibiting urine, suppressing cough, antiphlogosis and detoxifying. |
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Indications & Usage |
Anthracia and furunculosis, cough and tracheitis, common cold induced by pathogenic wind-cold.Oral administration: decocting, 6-9g. |
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Permanent URL：https://sys01.lib.hkbu.edu.hk/cmed/mpid/detail.php?herb_id=D00956 |
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