This species is of doubtful standing. It is accepted on a preliminary basis in the Euro+Med PlantBase (http://ww2.bgbm.org/EuroPlusMed/PTaxonDetail.asp?NameCache=Malva excisa&PTRefFk=7100000), but is treated as a synonym of Malva alcea L., in some other works[].

Common Name:

General Information

Malva excisa is a perennial plant with an erect, usually branched stem; it can grow 40 - 120cm tall[].
The plant is havested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. It has been grown as an ornamental, and also for medicinal and culinary uses, since at least the early Middle Ages, though most cultivation at present is for ornamental purposes[].

Known Hazards

Although we have seen no reports of toxicity for this species, when grown on nitrogen rich soils (and particularly when these are cultivated inorganically), the leaves of some species tend to concentrate high levels of nitrates in their leaves[]. The leaves are perfectly wholesome at all other times.

Botanical References

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Range

Europe - Ukraine, Moldova.

Habitat

Meadows among scrub, wood margins, weedy places, near houses and fences, gardens, roadsides, as ruderal plant[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.80 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in ordinary garden soil[], though it prefers a reasonably well-drained and moderately fertile soil in a sunny position[].
A very ornamental plant[].
This species is closely related to Malva alcea[] and considered no more than an extreme form of that species by some botanists[].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[].
Prone to infestation by rust fungus[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[]. The leaves and young shoots are used as a spinachlike vegetable[]. A mild pleasant flavour[]. Mucilaginous and fairly bland, it makes a good lettuce substitute in salads[].

Flowers - raw[]. A very decorative addition to the salad bowl, they have a mild flavour and a similar texture to the leaves[].

Seed - raw[]. Best used before it is fully mature, the seed has a pleasant nutty taste but it is rather small and fiddly to harvest[]. Children collect the young fruit of this plant, as also that of other mallow species, and eat them as a delicacy[].

Medicinal

The plant is valued for its high mucilate content and is used both internally and externally in popular medicine. Taken internally, it is used in the treatment of inflammatory and catarrhal conditions[].
The plant is used as a mouth wash, and is applied externally as a demulcent remedy for treating burns and skin irritations[].

Agroforestry Uses:

A useful bee plant, the flowers abound in nectar[].

Other Uses

A coarse fibre obtained from the stem is used for making cordage[].

Cream, yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the plant and the seed heads[].

The seed yields 15% oil[], the uses have not been given though it is almost certainly edible[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in early spring in a cold frame. The seed germinates quickly and easily. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in their permanent positions in the early summer[].
If you have sufficient seed then it can be sown outdoors in situ in the middle to late spring.
Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the shoots with plenty of underground stem when they are about 8 - 10cm above the ground. Pot them up into individual pots and keep them in light shade in a cold frame or greenhouse until they are rooting well. Plant them out in the summer.