Materia Medica Lesson 3-2: Althea and Malvaceae

 Althea and the Malvaceae - Marshmallow and Hollyhock

"I told Althea that treachery was tearing me limb from limb"... hmm, the one lyric MM doesn't quote... guess he was never a Deadhead... good times. MM has never tried okra... such ignorance and spiritual poverty! Po' Boys are awesome, too! I've had real marshmallow candy, from real mallow, once in my life nd it was fantastic - dense, not at all like "stay puffed".

Well, Mallows and such are very soothing to most any irritation, internal or external. Leaves and flowers are equally useful. Mallow and Hollyhock are mucilaginous. Doc Jones says that they calm any trauma - he uses mallow in gangrene treatment. You can use it as tea, tincture, a poultice, a candy, smoke it... most anything, really. It soothes lungs and throat, stomach and intestines, bladder and reproductive, skin.... everything. Improves mucus secretions in the lungs, colon and urine. Good, simple medicine. It is also pretty. This is one that is easy to grow, fairly common in the wild and easy to use. I've been around it all my life. Hibiscus also makes a nice tea - red zinger. The unique thing is that the slime of these plants breaks down when digested, but reforms wherever it is secreted. Malvaceae is one of the few plants that simulate macrophage activity - stimulates immunity. Helps get mucus out of the lungs. Not all mallows are useful - chew the leaf to see if they are slimy. Cotton is not. Rose of Sharon is commonly planted around here - it is good.

ALTHEA OFFICINALIS and A. ROSACEAE (Marshmallow and Hollyhock) ROOT. Cold Infusion or Fresh Tincture [1:2] as needed HERB or FLOWERS. Cold Infusion as needed, or moistened for poultice. STATUS : W/C

SPHAERALCEA (Scarlet Globemallow, Yerba de la Negrita) FLOWERING HERB. Standard Infusion as needed. Powdered herb, mixed with hot water for poultice. The tea is a widely used hair rinse. STATUS : W/LA

ILIAMNA (Stream Bush Mallow) Same as above

MALVA NEGLECTA and other MALVA (Mallow, Malvas, Cheeseplant) HERB. Standard Infusion, 2-6 ounces, as needed. STATUS : W/A

MALVAVISCUS (Turk’s Cap) Same as above

From  SPECIFIC INDICATIONS FOR HERBS IN GENERAL USE Third edition Michael Moore:

MALVA 

Acute cystitis/urethritis in general. Lithiasis, with irritation, inflammatory pain. Strangury, in general. Thrush (externally).

SIDALCEA (Checker Mallow) Same as above

SIDA HEDERACEA and others (Alkali Mallow) Same as above

HIBISCUS COULTERI, H. DENUDATUS, H. MOSCHATUS, etc. (Hibiscus, Desert Hibiscus) Same as above

From  SPECIFIC INDICATIONS FOR HERBS IN GENERAL USE Third edition Michael Moore:

ALTHEA OFFICINALIS Dryness of mouth and throat. Subacute head cold with hoarseness or laryngitis. As a gargle in acute pharyngitis. Laryngitis. Acute cough with faucial irritability. Cystitis, urethritis, for pain. Acute cystitis/urethritis in general. Acute dysuria, initial stages. Lithiasis, with irritation, inflammatory pain. Nephritis in general. Strangury, in general. Dysentery with blood (as an enema). Hemorrhoids, painful, extruding (as a poultice). Powdered root as a base for a stimulating poultice for abscesses, moistened with one of the following tinctures: Astragalus, Baptisia, Echinacea, Thuja, or Zingiber. Emollient for skin. Acute vaginitis (douche). Cystitis/urethritis in infants. To stimulate innate immunity. 

Here is the link to the Southwest School of Botanical Medicine Course

https://www.swsbm.com/school/