Althaea (plant) often added to salads or are boiled and fried. The roots and stem also secrete mucilage, which is used to soften the skin, and is used in cosmetic treatments. The Roman poet Horace refers to his own diet in his Odes, which he describes as very simple: "As for me, olives, endives, and smooth mallows provide sustenance." The root has been used since Egyptian antiquity in a honey-sweetened confection useful in the treatment of sore throat. The later French version of the recipe, called "pâte de guimauve" (or "guimauve" for short), included an eggwhite meringue and was often flavored with
Saponaria officinalis a lather when in contact with water. The epithet "officinalis" indicates its medicinal functions. It is a common host plant for some adult moth species, including the white-lined sphinx. "Saponaria officinalis" native range extends throughout Europe, and in Asia to western Siberia. It grows in cool places at low or moderate elevations under hedgerows and along the shoulders of roadways. It can be found in much of North America. The plants possesses leafy, unbranched stems (often tinged with red). It grows in patches, attaining a height of . The broad, lanceolate, sessile leaves are opposite and between 4 and 12