Marsh Mallow
Waltheria indica · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Sparse (41 studies) · ★☆☆☆☆
Marsh Mallow, scientifically known as Waltheria indica, is a rare, medicinal herb native to the Himalayan regions. Renowned for its therapeutic properties, this plant is traditionally used in Ayurvedic medicine to treat various ailments, including inflammation and respiratory issues, offering significant pharmacological potential for modern herbal treatments and wellness.
Names
Common Names
- Marsh Mallow
- Mash Mellow
- buff-coat
- leather-coat
- sleepy-morning
- Sleepy Morning
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- basora prieta
- escobillo blanco
- guimauve
- hierba del soldado
- Tapón
- tapacola
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Waltheria indicaSynonyms
- Waltheria makinoi
- Waltheria martii
- Waltheria guineensis
- Waltheria laxa
- Waltheria americana
- Waltheria angustifolia
- Waltheria arborescens
- Waltheria africana
- Waltheria elliptica
- Waltheria erioclada
- Waltheria corchorifolia
- Waltheria wildii
- Waltheria prostrata
- Waltheria paniculata
- Waltheria americana var. elliptica
- Waltheria americana var. glandulosa
- Waltheria americana var. densiflora
- Waltheria americana var. subspicata
- Waltheria indica var. americana
- Waltheria indica var. prostrata
- Waltheria americana var. indica
- Waltheria americana var. sahelica
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. It is further classified under the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Malvales. Finally, it is a member of the family Malvaceae and is placed within the genus Waltheria.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Malvales | WCVP |
| Family | Malvaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Waltheria | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution spanning both the Macaronesian islands and parts of West Tropical Africa. Within the Macaronesian region, it can be found growing in the Canary Islands and Cape Verde. Its range extends further into West Tropical Africa, where it is present in Benin. Additionally, the species is documented in the landlocked nation of Burkina. Finally, its distribution reaches the coastal area of Gambia, completing its spread across these distinct territories.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Macaronesia | Canary Is. | WCVP |
| Macaronesia | Cape Verde | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Burkina | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ghana | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea-Bissau | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Guinea | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Ivory Coast | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Liberia | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Waltheria indica, is a medicinal shrub valued for the therapeutic properties found throughout its various structures. The medicinal efficacy is often concentrated in the roots, which are frequently harvested for their potent bioactive compounds. While the aerial parts of the plant, including the leaves and flowers, are widely used in traditional remedies, the stems also contribute to the overall pharmacological profile. In many traditional practices, vegetable extracts derived from the whole plant are prepared to treat diverse ailments, though the concentrated root extract is particularly noted for its specific healing applications.| Plant Part | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| root | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| leaf | Applied biochemistry and biotechnology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem | Applied biochemistry and biotechnology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Waltheria indica has 16 reported phytochemicals identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Chrysosplenol E, 5-Hydroxy-3,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone, Adouetine X, Adouetine Y, Adouetine Z.
| Chemical | Supporting sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Chrysosplenol E | 2 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| 5-Hydroxy-3,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Adouetine X | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Adouetine Y | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Adouetine Z | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flindulatin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Melovinone | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Oxyanin A | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Vitexicarpin | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Waltherione A | 1 supporting sources | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chrysosplenol E
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
- Journal of natural products
5-Hydroxy-3,7,4'-trimethoxyflavone
- Journal of natural products
Adouetine X
- Dr. Duke
Adouetine Y
- Dr. Duke
Adouetine Z
- Dr. Duke
Flindulatin
- Journal of natural products
Melovinone
- Journal of natural products
Oxyanin A
- Journal of natural products
Vitexicarpin
- Journal of natural products
Waltherione A
- Journal of ethnopharmacology
Activities
Waltheria indica has 1 reported activities identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antifungal.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Antifungal | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Waltheria indica has 10 reported medicinal uses identified across 7 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Candida albicans, Chagas disease, Pneumococcus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, cancer.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| Candida albicans | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Chagas disease | Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Pneumococcus | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Streptococcus pneumoniae | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammation | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| inflammatory bowel diseases | Inflammopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| malaria | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| pneumococcal infections | African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ulcerative colitis | Inflammopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Consensus |
|---|---|---|
| aqueous extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| crude plant extracts | Inflammopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| extract | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CH2Cl2 extract | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| decoction of the aerial parts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| dichloromethane extract of the aerial parts | Journal of natural products (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| extracts | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hexane extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaf | Applied biochemistry and biotechnology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |