(A) High Mallow ( Malva sylvestris ) (European) 
is a tall biennial with a coarse branching stem, often- 
attaining a height of three feet, or even more on waste 
land. Both the stems and the leaves have a thick cov¬ 
ering of hair. The flowers grow in clusters of perhaps 
a half dozen from the axils of the leaves; they have 
five, heart-shaped petals of a purplish color, with two 
or three conspicuous veins of a darker shade. 
The Mallows get their generic name of Malva, in allu¬ 
sion to the soothing effect of the mucilaginous juices 
of the root and stem. 
(B) Musk Mallow (Malva moschata) (European) 
is a similar species with the leaves deeply and pal- 
mately slashed and toothed. Several hairy, branching 
stems proceed from the perennial root, to heights of 
one or two feet. The flowers are peculiar in that the 
ends of each of the five rose-colored petals are roughly 
notched, looking as though they had been bitten off. 
This species received its name from the fact that 
when the leaves are crushed, they give forth a slight 
odor of musk. It is quite abundant in northern New 
England and southern Canada. 
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