Malva Species, Common Dwarf Mallow, Round-leaved Mallow, Running Mallow, Round Dock, Umbrella Mallow

This weed is a nightmare!! Who would ever want to buy this? I would gladly let anyone come and take it all if that were possible! I have ...Read Morepicked huge amounts of this weed every year for 4 years now. Garbage bags full! Roundup doesn't kill it or any other spray that I've tried. And I am not about to start eating it. We never had this weed until we had a spring flood in 2011 and the excessive water must have brought dormant seeds to life. I have read everything I can find about this weed and have had no success in how to get rid of it. Apparently the seeds can lay dormant for 125 years until the right conditions are met. Amazing! Wonder what conditions are needed to kill it? PLEASE HELP anyone?

According to Wikipedia - even though Malva neglecta is considered to be a weed, the leaves have medicinal qualities and are used in makin...Read Moreg a tea. The seeds contain 21 percent protein and 15 percent fat - and the flower is pretty.

A horrible plant! It takes over entire flowerbeds in one season. Long tap root...ever propigating. If I could figure out a way to kill ...Read Moreit without killing the rest of the plants, I certainly would. I guess the fact that it's edible means that I will never starve, because it will always be there...terrorizing my flowerbeds and lawn.

I have not grown this plant which occurs as an annual and rarely as a biennial. Common mallow, round-leaved mallow, cheeses (Malva negl...Read Moreecta; synonyms: Malva rotundifolia, Malva vulgaris) is native to North Africa, central and southern Europe and south west Asia. It has become naturalized in most of the United States (excluding Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) and Canada.

Common mallow has a straight-taproot which is short. The hairy stems branch at the base and lay close to the soil surface, nearly erect or spreading with tips turned up. The 2 to 6 cm wide, alternate, circular to kidney-shaped leaves are blunt- to sharp-toothed and inconspicuously 5-9 lobed. The petioles are long. Short hairs are on both the upper and lower leaf surfaces, leaf margins and petioles. There are 2 stipules at bases of the leaves which are lanceolate and between 0.5 and 1 cm long. The seedling cotyledons are 5 to 7 mm long, 3 to 4 mm wide, heart-shaped, have 3 main veins and are hairy on both surfaces.

From May through September, the flowers appear singularly or in clusters of 2 to 4 in the leaf axils. The 5-lobed petals are white or white tinged with pale pink or purple. Common mallow produces flattened lengthwise fruit capsules which are round and cheese-shaped (disc- or button-like). They are composed of 12 to15 small hairy, 1-seeded, 5 to 8 mm in diameter wedge-shaped segments which are rounded on the back.

Common mallow is often misidentified as ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea) which has square stems. Ground ivy leaves have more prominent rounded teeth and are opposite. Ground ivy often has a minty odor.

All parts of the plant are edible; however, when grown in nitrogen rich soils, high concentrations of nitrates in its leaves occur.

"Edible Uses:
Leaves and young shoots of common mallow are edible raw or cooked. Having a mild pleasant flavor, they are said to be highly nutritious. They can be added in quantity to salads, and make an excellent lettuce substitute, they can also be cooked as greens. The leaves are mucilaginous, when cooked in soups etc they tend to thicken it in much the same way as okra (Abelmoschatus esculenta). Some people find this mucilaginous texture unpleasant, especially if the leaves are cooked. Immature seeds are edible raw or cooked. A pleasant nutty flavor, they are nice as a nibble but too small in most cases to collect in quantity. A decoction of the roots is used as an egg-white substitute for making meringue. The roots are brought to the boil in water and then simmered until the water becomes quite thick. This liquid can then be whisked in much the same way as egg whites. A tea can be made from the dried leaves.
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Medicinal Uses:
All parts of the plant are astringent, laxative, urine-inducing, and have agents that counteract inflammation, that soften and soothe the skin when applied locally, and that induce the removal (coughing up) of mucous secretions from the lungs. The leaves and flowers can be eaten as part of the diet, or a tea can be made from the leaves, flowers or roots. The leaves and flowers are the main part used, their demulcent properties making them valuable as a poultice for bruises, inflammations, insect bites etc, or taken internally in the treatment of respiratory system diseases or inflammation of the digestive or urinary systems. They have similar properties, but are considered to be inferior to the marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis), though they are stronger acting than the common mallow (M. sylvestris). They are seldom used internally. The plant is an excellent laxative for young children.

Other Uses:
Cream, yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the plant and the seed heads. The root has been used as a toothbrush." Copyright © Plant-Life.org