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Malva parviflora
Also called Cheeseweed Mallow, Cheeseweed, Little Mallow, Small Flowered Mallow, Egyptian Mallow, Alkali Mallow, Country Mallow
Malva parviflora is an annual or perennial herb that is native to Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and Western and Central Asia and is widely naturalized elsewhere. Common names include cheeseweed, cheeseweed mallow, Egyptian mallow, least mallow, little mallow, mallow, marshmallow, small-flowered mallow, small-flowered marshmallow, and smallflower mallow. It is used in traditional medicine.
M. parviflora accumulates pollutants such as cadmium and chromium. In nitrogen-rich soils, the plant's leaves and seeds can be toxic to cattle and poultry due to an accumulation of nitrates. If consumed in large amounts, the plant can damage energy homeostasis in horses, possibly due to its cyclopropene fatty acids.
M. parviflora typically grows on agricultural lands and in disturbed sites such as roadsides. Its native range extends from the Mediterranean, through West Asia, and to Central Asia and can be found in Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Cyprus, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece, Croatia, Italy, Malta, Spain, France, and Portugal. The species is widely naturalized elsewhere, including in North America since the 19th century. It is a naturalized weed in Australia.
The entire plant is edible and can be eaten both raw and cooked. It has a mild flavor similar to chard and a mild, earthy aroma.
Malva olbia · Malva trimestris · Canary Tree Mallow · Egyptian Mallow · Vervain mallow · Tree Mallow · Island mallow · Malva cretica · Malva hispanica · Malva ludwigii · Musk mallow · Cretan Hollyhock
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Malva parviflora by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
