Althaea officinalis the English common name "mallow". Most of the mallows have been used as food, and are mentioned by early classic writers with this connection. Mallow was an edible vegetable among the Romans; a dish of marsh mallow was one of their delicacies. Prospero Alpini stated in 1592 that a plant of the mallow kind was eaten by the Egyptians. Many of the poorer inhabitants of Syria subsisted for weeks on herbs, of which marshmallow is one of the most common. When boiled first and fried with onions and butter, the roots are said to form a palatable dish, and in
Althaea (plant) treated in the genus "Alcea" (hollyhocks). Accepted species according to Plants of the World online are:<br> "Althaea angulata" Freyn<br> "Althaea armeniaca" Ten.<br> "Althaea bertramii" Post & Beauverd<br> "Althaea cannabina" L.<br> "Althaea chrysantha" Sam.<br> "Althaea damascena" Mouterde<br> "Althaea hiri" Parsa<br> "Althaea octaviae" Evenari<br> "Althaea officinalis" L.<br> "Althaea oppenheimii" Ulbr.<br> "Althaea villosa" Blatt.<br> The root contains starch (37%), mucilage (11%), pectin (11%), flavonoids, phenolic acids, sucrose, and asparagine. The traditional medicinal uses of the plant are reflected in the name of the genus, which comes from the Greek "althainein", meaning "to heal". The flowers and young leaves can be eaten, and are