Althaea (plant) Althaea (plant) Althaea is a genus of 6–12 species of perennial herbs native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia. It includes "Althaea officinalis", also known as the marshmallow plant, whence the fluffy confection got its name. They are found on the banks of rivers and in salt marshes, preferring moist, sandy soils. The stems grow to 1–2 m tall, and flower in mid summer. The leaves are palmately lobed with 3–7 lobes. "Althaea" species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including "Bucculatrix quadrigemina". The genus formerly included a number of additional species now
Fumaria officinalis Fumaria officinalis Fumaria officinalis, the common fumitory, drug fumitory or earth smoke, is a herbaceous annual flowering plant in the poppy family Papaveraceae. It is the most common species of the genus "Fumaria" in Western and Central Europe. It is an herbaceous annual plant that grows weakly erect and scrambling, with stalks about long. It has slender green leaves. Its pink flowers appear from April to October in the northern hemisphere, or May to September in the UK. They are two lipped and spurred, with sepals running a quarter the length of the petals. The plant commonly has more than