Malva Forest
Malva sylverstris
One-, two- and multi-year herbaceous plant. Distributed in the European part of Russia, in the Caucasus, in Central Asia. It grows like a weed in orchards, on wasteland, on land, near housing, especially in the zone of irrigated agriculture. Malvus forest is also called a woods paddock.
Description: height up to 1 m, root rod spindle-shaped sturdy. Stalk straight, unbranched, pubescent. Leaves on long petioles, rounded. Flowers pinkish-violet, large. The fruit is fractional, disintegrates into 10 identical wrinkled fruits. Blossoms in May-July, fruits ripen in June-August.
Ingredients: flowers contain a lot of mucus, ascorbic acid, carotene, as well as substances of a glycosidic nature.
Cultivation: prefers sunny areas, but in general the plant is unpretentious. In the first year needs watering. The introduction of fertilizers into garden soils is not required. The sowing is made in the spring in rows at a distance of 40 cm, later sprouted plants are planted.
Collection: flowers are harvested at the beginning of flowering, when they are not yet fully dissolved, cutting them off by hand with the cup together, but without pedicels. Then the leaves of mallow without petioles are also ripped off. Dry leaves and mallow flowers are recommended in the shade outdoors or in a warm room. You can store in tightly closed jars and boxes for 2 years.
Medicinal properties: flowers and leaves have anti-inflammatory, emollient and mild laxative effect, which is determined mainly by mucous substances. Flowers are included in the composition of breast, emollient and rinse-throat collections.
Application: in folk medicine, malva is used in the form of infusion or broth for inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and respiratory tract. Decoctions and infusions are also used externally for rinses with inflammation of the larynx and pharynx( especially with a strong hoarseness of the voice), as well as in the form of anti-inflammatory poultices and ointments with skin irritation, burns and hemorrhoids. In cosmetics, mallow forest is used to make toning facial packs, in the cooking, young leaves of mallow are added to salads.