What plant is the mallow? Mallow introduction and FAQ
The mallow is a perennial upright herbaceous plant, a beautiful flowering plant mainly distributed in temperate and tropical regions, with beautiful blooms. Perhaps many people have not heard of it, but everyone should know the hibiscus flower; hibiscus belongs to the Malvaceae family, which shows how beautiful the mallow is. The mallow is mainly used for ornamental purposes, but besides that it can also be used medicinally and as food.
Morphological characteristics
Also known as jingkui, qiankui, and chessboard flower, the plant height is 50-100cm, with numerous branches, and the plant is densely covered with coarse hairs; the leaves are round-heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, with rounded teeth on the edges, and both sides of the leaf blade are hairless or the veins have a few short stiff hairs; the petiole is about 6cm long, hairless or with long stiff hairs in the groove.
The flowering period is relatively long, from May to October, the flowers are clustered, the flower color is purple or white, with 5 petals; the pedicel is relatively short, hairless or with a few coarse hairs; after flowering it bears fruit, the fruit is kidney-shaped, relatively flat, and the surface is covered with soft hairs; the seeds are black-brown and kidney-shaped.
Growth habits
It prefers a cool, sunny environment, is cold-resistant, drought-resistant, and highly adaptable, with no strict requirements for soil, but it is most suitable for growth in fertile, loose, well-drained sandy soil. It has strong growth vigor and can self-sow and reproduce. Moisten the planting soil, scatter the seeds evenly, then cover with soil, and be careful to keep the soil moist, but not too much, which would cause waterlogging. Generally sown in April, it can be planted out in May, and can bloom in June.
Main value
Landscaping: Because the mallow plant is relatively large, and the plant shapes vary, and the flowering is also inconsistent, it is not suitable for potted plants or flower beds, and is mostly used for courtyard or garden cultivation, for ornamental purposes or greening.
Medicinal value: It can be used to make flower tea. After brewing, the color is mostly blue, which looks very beautiful. Adding two drops of lemon juice can turn it pink, and it is relatively popular. The stems, leaves, and flowers can all be used as medicine, with the effects of clearing heat and draining dampness, regulating qi and relieving constipation, and are used for difficult bowel movements and abdominal pain around the navel.
The above is an introduction to the mallow. The mallow's flower language: satire. It is said that in ancient Roman times, a satirical poet named Martial was active in the Roman Empire. He once said that the tea extracted from the mallow has the effect of restoring fatigue, so people believed that the mallow was the source of strength for satirical poets.