64 MALVACE.32. 



envelopes the seed ; it has been used in Egypt from times of 

 great antiquity, and several remains of G-reek literature have 

 been found written on cotton. It is now an article of commerce 

 all over the world, especially important in the British trade as 

 giving employment to thousands of labourers of both sexes and 

 all ages. The true Mallows have an inner and outer calyx ; 

 the former comprised of five valves, the latter of three sepals 

 united at the base. The name is from a G-reek word signifying 

 soft, and refers to the emollient nature of the plants. 



The common Mallow (Malva sylvestris), grows freely on waste 

 places. It is a strong woolly plant, with large lobed leaves 

 and crimson flowers, handsomely marked with a darker shade. 

 It grows much in cottage gardens in the north of Yorkshire, 

 being cultivated and used for fomentations in case of swellings, 

 toothache, &c. All children love to play with the miniature 

 " Cheeses " which form the seed, as Clare says 



" The sitting down when school was o'er 

 Upon the threshold of the door ; 

 Picking from Mallows, sport to please, 

 The crumbled seed we call a Cheese." 



French children play the same game, terming the seeds "les 

 petits fromageons." Syrups and pastils are made from this plant. 

 In Job's time it was used as an article of food, " Who cut up 

 Mallows by the bushes, and Juniper roots for their meat " 

 (Job xxx. 4) ; and Dryden speaks of a similar custom 



" Shards and Mallows for the pot." 



The Romans used to cook and eat it as a vegetable, and it is 

 still cultivated in Egypt as an article of diet. 



The Round-leaved Mallow (M. rotundifolia), is a smaller 

 plant with pale flowers. It has the same qualities as the 

 common Mallow ; but being smaller and less frequently met 

 with, it has been little noticed. 



The Musk Mallow (M. moschata), is the handsomest member 

 of the family. Its petals are of a delicate pink, beautifully 

 veined with rose. Like its two companions, its stamens are 



