An evergreen herbaceous plant from the Malvaceae family of up to 2m in height. It is normally branchy and erect and the stem may be glabrescent to pubescent.

Leaves are palmatifid, alternate and petiolated. It blossoms mid-summer, producing clusters of helical-type inflorescences; the hermaphrodite flowers measure between 2 and 6cm in diameter and have pink or purple petals with darker veins.

It has a five-sectioned perianth with a three-piece calycle attached to the base. The flowers close at night and in bad weather to protect their pollen.

Pollination is fundamentally entomogamous although they can self-pollinate.
The fruit is a capsule (schizocarp) made up from various mericarps (parts that separate on ripening which only contain one seed). It disseminates by gravity, falling on the floor when ripe and is plentiful in wasteland, vegetable gardens, crops, on the sides of tracks, at dumps and in unattended gardens.

It grows in altitudes of up to 1,500m and originates from Europe, but is also found in Western Asia and North Africa.

PART USED

The flower. 

COMPOSITION

The main components are mucilages (more than 10%), which by means of hydrolysis produce arabinose, glucose, rhamnose and galacturonic acid. They also contain small amounts of tannins and anthocyanosides.

PROPERTIES AND USES
COMMON USE

Common mallow is used for colds, catarrhs and inflammation of the oropharyngeal cavity, as well as being used as a mild astringent.

It is internally used to treat bladder disorders and externally for the preparation of vulnerary compresses. It is also used as a food colouring.