mallow

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• high mallow
• purple mallow
• tall mallow
• Common Mallow
• blue mallow
• cheeses
• forest mallow
• High Malva
• Large flowered mallow

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Malvales. Finally, it is a member of the family Malvacaceae and the genus Malva.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a widespread presence across several regions of Northern Europe. In the Scandinavian peninsula, it can be found growing in both Denmark and Norway. Its distribution also extends northward into the territory of Finland. Moving toward the Atlantic, the species is well-established throughout Great Britain. Finally, the plant is commonly documented across the landscape of Ireland.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Malva sylvestris is characterized by its remarkable adaptability to diverse environmental conditions and a wide distribution across varying altitudes. It thrives in a multitude of habitats, ranging from disturbed agricultural sites like crop fields to more rugged landscapes such as mountains, shrubberies, and stony places, and it is also frequently found near coastal environments including shores and seas. This versatility is reflected in its extensive elevational range, which begins at sea level (0 m AMSL) and reaches a mean altitude of approximately 400 m AMSL. However, the species demonstrates significant resilience to vertical gradients, capable of ascending to an impressive maximum elevation of 3000 m AMSL.

Elevational range max:

3000 m AMSL

Elevational range mean:

400 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

crop fields, forest, mountains, sea, shores, shrubberies, stony places

Life history

The life history of Malva sylvestris is characterized by its versatile biological strategies, primarily functioning as a perennial species that can exhibit variable growth patterns depending on environmental conditions. In terms of its structural life form, the plant is classified as a hemicryptophyte, meaning its perenn Perennial buds are located at or just below the soil surface, allowing it to endure seasonal changes. While it can manifest as a therophyte in specific annual cycles or harsher conditions, its primary survival mechanism relies on this persistent underground structure. Regarding its foliage, the plant is identified as evergreen, maintaining its vegetative presence throughout various stages of its development.

Deciduousness :

evergreen

Life form :

hemicryptophyte

Life form :

therophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Malva sylvestris is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb and forb. It is a terrestrial, independent plant that does not function as an epiphyte or a parasite. The plant exhibits a self-supporting climbing habit, though it is not a liana or vine, and its shoots typically maintain an ascending orientation. In terms of stature, the plant height varies significantly, with a minimum height of 0.2 m, a mean height of approximately 0.6275 m, and a maximum potential height reaching up to 2.5 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Growth form :

forb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

2.5 m

Plant height mean:

0.6275 m

Plant height min:

0.2 m

Shoot orientation :

ascending

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Malva sylvestris is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, a common metabolic strategy that allows for efficient carbon fixation under moderate environmental conditions. As a non-carnivorous organism, it relies entirely on soil-based nutrient uptake and does not function as a nitrogen fixer, meaning it lacks the symbiotic mechanisms to convert atmospheric nitrogen into usable forms. The plant's leaf morphology plays a critical role in its resource management, exhibiting a mean leaf size of 77.275 cm² and a mean Specific Leaf Area (SLA) of 226.1 cm²/g, which indicates a relatively high efficiency in light interception per unit of biomass. The leaves vary in dimensions, with a minimum length of 5 cm and a maximum length of 10 cm, while the width ranges from a minimum of 5 cm to a maximum of 10 cm.

Carnivory :

non-carnivorous

Leaf length max:

10 cm

Leaf length min:

5 cm

Leaf size mean:

77.275 cm²

Leaf width max:

10 cm

Leaf width min:

5 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Specific Leaf Area (SLA) mean:

226.1 cm²/g

Reproduction

The reproduction of Malva sylvestris is primarily sexual, characterized by bisexual flowers that facilitate the plant's life cycle. The flowering period typically begins in June and extends through October. This reproductive process relies on biotic pollination syndromes, specifically involving insects, with bees being a prominent pollinator. While the plant is capable of self-fertilization, its reliance on insect visitors ensures genetic diversity. Following successful pollination, the plant develops dry fruit in the form of a capsule. The resulting seeds are quite small, with a mean mass of approximately 0.004258 g (ranging from a minimum of 0.00372 g to a maximum of 0.00732 g) and a consistent seed volume of 5.5 mm³. These seeds are distributed via an unspecialized dispersal syndrome, allowing the species to spread effectively through various non-specific environmental mechanisms. Notably, asexual reproduction is absent in this species.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Oct

Fruit dryness :

dry

Fruit type :

capsule

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

bee

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Reproduction asexual :

absent

Reproduction sexual :

bisexual

Seed mass max:

0.00732 g

Seed mass mean:

0.004258 g

Seed mass min:

0.00372 g

Seed volume max:

5.5 mm³

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Malva sylvestris has 6 reported plant parts identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, flower, root, fruit, seed.

Leaf

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
2. Heliyon
3. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
4. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
5. Scientific reports

Flower

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. Scientific reports
4. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry
5. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Root

1. Scientific reports
2. Actas urologicas espanolas

Fruit

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Seed

1. Scientific reports

Stem

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Chemicals

Malva sylvestris has 49 reported phytochemicals identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Flavonoids, Anthocyanins, Coumarins, MALVIN, AFLATOXIN B2.

Flavonoids

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
4. Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
5. BMC plant biology

Anthocyanins

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC plant biology

Coumarins

1. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

MALVIN

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

AFLATOXIN B2

1. Analytical methods : advancing methods and applications

ANTHOCYANIN

1. ACS applied bio materials

Ash

1. Dr. Duke

CALCIUM

1. Dr. Duke

Ca++

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Carotenoids

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Activities

Malva sylvestris has 236 reported activities identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antioxidant, Antimicrobial, Antibacterial, Laxative, Anticancer.

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
4. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
5. Actas urologicas espanolas

Antimicrobial

1. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
2. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
3. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences
4. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica
5. Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical

Antibacterial

1. Dr. Duke
2. Advanced biomedical research
3. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences
4. Data in brief

Laxative

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
3. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
4. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
3. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Hepatoprotective

1. Dr. Duke
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
3. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Analgesic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Antiseptic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences

Antiulcer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Chemopreventive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Iranian journal of basic medical sciences

Conditions

Malva sylvestris has 31 reported investigations on conditions identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include inflammation, cancer, wound healing, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus.

Inflammation

1. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
2. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
3. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening
4. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Cancer

1. The Journal of pharmacy and pharmacology
2. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening
3. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP

Wound healing

1. Heliyon
2. International journal of community based nursing and midwifery
3. Acta poloniae pharmaceutica

Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Data in brief
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Staphylococcus aureus

1. Data in brief
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Constipation

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie
2. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology

Cough

1. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology
2. Pakistan journal of biological sciences : PJBS

Oxidative stress

1. PloS one
2. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Atopic dermatitis

1. Endocrine, metabolic & immune disorders drug targets

Corynebacterium

1. Data in brief

Preparations

Malva sylvestris has 20 reported preparations identified across 20 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extract, Herbmix, Hydroalcoholic Extract, Malva sylvestris aqueous extract, Malva sylvestris extract.

Extract

1. International journal of community based nursing and midwifery
2. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry

Herbmix

1. PloS one

Hydroalcoholic extract

1. Advanced biomedical research

Malva sylvestris aqueous extract

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Malva sylvestris extract

1. Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie

Malva sylvestris leaf extract

1. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's archives of pharmacology

Aqueous extract

1. Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening

Aqueous extracts

1. Iranian Red Crescent medical journal

Cream

1. International journal of community based nursing and midwifery

Crude methanol extract

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology