Althaea officinalis times of scarcity consequent upon the failure of the crops, this plant, which grows there in great abundance, is collected heavily as a foodstuff. The leaves, flowers and the root of "A. officinalis" (marshmallow) have been used in traditional herbal medicine. This use is reflected in the name of the genus, which comes from the Greek (""), meaning "to heal." Marshmallow was traditionally used as relief for irritation of mucous membranes, including use as a gargle for mouth and throat ulcers and gastric ulcers. The flowers and young leaves can be eaten, and are often added to salads or are
Laricifomes officinalis Laricifomes officinalis Laricifomes officinalis is a wood-decay fungus in the order Polyporales. It causes brown heart rot on conifers, and is found in Europe, Asia, and North America, as well as Morocco. It is commonly known as agarikon, as well as the quinine conk because of its extremely bitter taste. DNA analysis supports "L. officinalis" as distinct from the genus "Fomitopsis". The conks were once collected extensively for production of medicinal quinine, which they were thought to contain, because of the bitter taste of the powdered conk. However, they do not contain quinine, and have no anti-malarial properties. The distinctive