Malva nicaeensis

Malva nicaeensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Plantae
Clade:Angiosperms
Clade:Eudicots
Clade:Rosids
Order:Malvales
Family:Malvaceae
Genus:Malva
Species: M. nicaeensis
Binomial name
Malva nicaeensis
Synonyms

Malva arvensis

Malva nicaeensis is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names bull mallow[1] and French mallow.[2]

Description

Malva nicaeensis is an annual or biennial herb producing a hairy, upright stem up to 60 centimeters long. The leaves are up to 12 centimeters wide and have several slight lobes along the edges.

Flowers appear in the leaf axils, each with pinkish to light purple petals around a centimeter long. The disc-shaped fruit has several segments.

Plant uses & properties

In the Levant, mallows grow profusely after the first winter rains. The leaves and stems are edible, and are widely collected by indigenous peoples for food, as they make an excellent garnish when chopped and fried in olive-oil with onions and spices. In Israel, the Arabic name for this plant, "chubezza" (Arabic: الخبيزة‎), is well-known and is used also by Israelis whenever referring to the plant.[3]

References

  1. ↑ "Malva nicaeensis". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  2. ↑ "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  3. ↑ Six Orders of the Mishnah, Eshkol Publishers: Jerusalem 1978, Mishnah Kila'im 1:8, Rabbi Obadiah di Bertinoro's Commentary, s.v. חלמית.
  • Jepson Manual Treatment
  • "Malva nicaeensis". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
  • Photo gallery


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.