THE MALLOW FAMILY 
[ORDER XVII. MALVACEAJ] 
HIS family is distinguished by its 5 sepals and petals, and its numerous stamens with the 
filaments united into a column surrounding the pistil. All the species native to the 
British Isles have also an outer calyx of bracts. 
This is a very important order, and is widely distributed in the warmer parts of the world, 
most of the species being natives of the tropics. Among our cultivated flowers are many lovely 
species of Mallow, the Hibiscus, Abutilon, and Malope, and also the Hollyhock (Althaea), all vying 
with one another in the marvellous beauty of their flowers, some being of the most gorgeous rosy 
scarlet, while others are unsurpassed in the delicate veining of the petals. 
None of the species possesses any dangerous properties. They all contain large quantities of 
mucilage, some kinds of which are used for thickening soup and others medicinally for allaying 
irritation. The tough fibre of the stems of some of the plants is used instead of hemp for making 
into cordage. But the most valuable species belong to the genus Gossypium, which yields us our 
cotton : the seeds of various species of this genus are clothed, in extraordinary abundance, with 
long white hairs, which are removed and spun into thread. 
MARSH MALLOW. (ALTHA2A, LINN.) — Flowers solitary or collected into long or short 
clusters (racemes or corymbs), flesh- or rose-colour, or purple. Outer calyx of 6-9 bracts united at 
the base. Sepals 5, united at the base ; petals 5, twisted in bud ; stamens numerous, with the 
filaments united into a long tube round the pistil ; carpels numerous, in a ring, becoming in fruit 
1 -seeded little nuts, separating when ripe. Hairy herbs with leaves lobed towards the base 
(palmatifid). 
Common Marsh Mallow. (Althaea officinalis, Linn.)— Flowers about 1 inch across, 
flesh-coloured, in small clusters up the stem forming a long leafy cluster. Outer calyx of 6-9 
narrow bracts, united at the base and shorter than the sepals. Sepals 5, densely felted with soft 
hairs ; petals 5 ; stamens numerous, the united filaments forming a long tube round the pistil. 
Fruit a number of i-seeded little nuts, separating when ripe. Stems 2-3 feet high, round, simple 
or slightly branched, densely felted with soft hairs ; leaves shortly stalked, roundish, slightly lobed 
towards the base into 5 segments (palmatifid), and thickly clothed with downy hairs. [Plate 28. 
Rare, local. Salt marshes near the sea. August — September. Perennial. 
Hispid Marsh Mallow. (Althaea hirsuta, Linn.)— A similar plant, with solitary, rose-pink 
flowers ; the sepals a little longer than the petals ; the stems only about 1 foot high, very 
hairy ; the root leaves long-stalked, kidney-shaped (reniform), more deeply lobed, and the stem 
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