Althaea cannabina Althaea cannabina Althaea cannabina, commonly called palm-leaf marshmallow or hemp-leaved hollyhock, is a perennial herb belonging to the genus "Althaea" of the Malvaceae family. The leaves resemble those of hemp ("Cannabis sativa"), hence the specific epithet "cannabina" ("hemp-like"). "Althaea cannabina" reaches on average of height. The stem is erect, cylindrical, pubescent and very branched. Lower leaves are petiolate, hairy and almost completely subdivided in three-five segments, linear or linear-lanceolate, toothed or lobed, up to wide and long. The upper leaves are simply lobed and toothed. The flowers are solitary or in clusters and grow in the axils of the leaves,
Verbena officinalis "V. officinalis" as a subspecies or variety. But despite the outward similarity, biogeography alone strongly suggests there is really no justification to include this North American native here, and DNA sequence data agrees. Instead, "V. halei" seems to be closely related to "V. macdougalii", perhaps with some interbreeding with the "V. menthifolia" lineage which might explain its Common Vervain-like traits. Common vervain has been held in high esteem since classical antiquity; it has long been associated with divine and other supernatural forces, and it has an equally long-standing use as a medicinal plant. Herbal capsules are used as a soporific