Th BRITISH HERBAL. 
The virtues of mar/hmallow are the fame with 
thofe of the common mallow, but it has them ina 
greater degree. ‘The root is pleafant, and gives 
' water a thick mucilaginous confiftence, with an 
agreeable foftnefs: wherefore the decoétion or 
infufion are the beft forms of giving it. 
, Itis emollient and diuretick, Taken in the 
way of tea it is excellent againft the gravel: or 
in a ftronger decottion, in the worft complaints 
of that kind. : 
Outwardly ufed it is emollient and difcutient. 
A fyrup and an ointment are kept in the fhops 
in which mar/hmallow root is a great ingredient, 
and which have their name from it; but a com- 
mon infufion has more virtue by far than the. fy- 
rup; and generally a pultice of the freth root, 
white bread and milk, will do better outwardly 
than the ointment.» 
DLV I Sel ON alts 
Great-flowered Marfhmallow. 
Althea flore magno. 
- The root is compofed of a large head, and a 
vaft quantity of white, thick fibres, 
The firft leaves are large, broad, obtufe, and 
approaching to round, but finuated at the edges, 
and terminating in a kind of broad, blunt point. 
They ftand on fhort footftalks, and are of a’ 
whitifh green. 
The ftalks are numerous, thick, firm, and five 
foot high: they rife from the centre of the tuft 
of leaves, and are of a whitith green, and divided 
into many branches. 
Gea Bigg No U. 
FOREIGN 
Befide thefe, which are its virtues moft regard: 
ed, it is excellent in afthmas and againtt tickling 
coughs ; and alfo in erofions of the bowels and 
dyfenteries. In both thefe cafes it aéts upon the 
fame principle, foftening and blunting the acri- 
mony of the humours by its foft mucilaginous 
Juice. 
A decottion of marfhmallow root alone, is ex- ; 
cellent againft the heat of urine attending go- 
norrheas. 
We have obferved that the firft leaves of 
the marfomallow are rounder than thofe on the 
ftalks: fometimes the whole have that appear. 
ance, and this principally from too wet a fitua- 
tion. In this condition the plant. has been confi- 
dered by Plukenet as a diftinét fpecies. He calls 
it Althea vulgari fimilis folio retufo brevi : but this 
is nothing more than a variety, 
SP BGsbE Ss, 
The leaves on thefe are broad and oblong, fer- 
rated at the edges, and {harp at the points, 
They ftand on long footftalks, and have a velvety 
foftnefs. 
The flowers ftand at the extremities of the 
branches, and are very large and beautiful. They 
very much refemble hollyhock flowers, and are 
naturally of a pale fleth colour, but vary by cul- 
ture, and become of a deeper red. ' : 
The feeds ftand in a round, flat, naked head. 
It isa native of Africa, and flowers in July. 
Cornutus calls ic Althea rofea peregrina, and 
mott others follow him, 
Ne 2.0. 
VERVAIN MALLOW. 
ALC A. 
TIE flower confifts of five large fegments joined at the bafe. The feeds ftand in a rounded, flat 
“ clufter. The leaves are deeply divided. 
The alcea is one of the monadelphia polyandria of Linnzus. 
Its difference from the marfh and 
common mallow is principally in the leaves ; but it is a diftinction fo long preferved and fo familiarly 
known that it may be retained. 
DIV: ES FON: T, 
Vervain Mallow. 
Alcea vulgaris. 
The root is long, large, woody, perennial, and 
white. 
The leaves that rife from it are of a rounded 
form, deeply finuated at the edges, but not di- 
vided into {mall fegments as the others. Thefe 
rife in a clufter: they are fupported on moderately 
long footftalks, and are of a beautiful green. 
The ftalks rife among thefe: they are nume- 
rous, round, firm, upright, and of a:pale green: 
they are well furnifhed with leaves, and thofe ex. 
treamly beautiful. They keep the rounded ge- 
neral form of thofe from the root, ‘but they are 
BRITISH SPECIES: 
divided deeply into fmall and elegant fegments/ 
Thefe are of a paler colour than thofe from the 
root. 
The flowers are very large, and of a beautiful 
pale red. 
The feeds ftand in rounded and flat heads. 
It is common in paftures, and flowers in May. 
C. Bauhine calls it Alcea vulgaris major. J. 
Bauhine, Alcea vulgaris. 
The leaves of this plant are frequently curled 
at the.edges. This happens efpecially when it 
grows in very dry places; and it has been de- 
{cribed in this condition as if a diftin& fpecies, 
under the name of Alcea texuifolia crifpa. 
DIVI- 
