What is "malva sylvestris"

Mallow \Mal"low\, Mallows \Mal"lows\, n. [OE. malwe, AS. mealwe, fr. L. malva, akin to Gr. mala`chh; cf. mala`ssein to soften, malako`s soft. Named either from its softening or relaxing properties, or from its soft downy leaves. Cf. Mauve, Malachite.] (Bot.) A genus of plants ( Malva) having mucilaginous qualities. See Malvaceous.

Note: The flowers of the common mallow ( Malva sylvestris) are used in medicine. The dwarf mallow ( Malva rotundifolia) is a common weed, and its flattened, dick-shaped fruits are called cheeses by children. Tree mallow ( Malva Mauritiana and Lavatera arborea), musk mallow ( Malva moschata), rose mallow or hollyhock, and curled mallow ( Malva crispa), are less commonly seen.

Indian mallow. See Abutilon.

Jew's mallow, a plant ( Corchorus olitorius) used as a pot herb by the Jews of Egypt and Syria.

Marsh mallow. See under Marsh.

Malva sylvestris \Malva sylvestris\prop. n. (Bot.) The species name of the tall mallow, an erect or decumbent Old World perennial with axillary clusters of rosy-purple flowers; introduced into the U. S.

Syn: tall mallow, high mallow, cheese, cheeseflower.

Mauve \Mauve\ (m[=o]v), n. [F., mallow, L. malva. So named from the similarity of the color to that of the petals of common mallow, Malva sylvestris. See Mallow.] A color of a delicate purple, violet, or lilac.

Mauve aniline (Chem.), a dyestuff produced artificially by the oxidation of commercial aniline, and the first discovered of the so-called coal-tar, or aniline, dyes. It consists of the sulphate of mauve["i]ne, and is a dark brown or bronze amorphous powder, which dissolves to a beatiful purple color. Called also aniline purple, violine, Perkin's mauve, etc.

cheeseflower \cheeseflower\ n. an erect or decumbent Old World perennial ( Malva sylvestris) with axillary clusters of rosy-purple flowers; introduced into the U. S.

Syn: tall mallow, high mallow, cheese, Malva sylvestris.

Malva sylvestris is a species of the mallow genus Malva in the family of Malvaceae and is considered to be the type species for the genus. Known as common mallow to English speaking Europeans, it acquired the common names of cheeses, high mallow and tall mallow (mauve des bois by the French) as it migrated from its native home in Western Europe, North Africa and Asia through the English speaking world. M. sylvestris is a vigorously healthy plant with showy flowers of bright mauve-purple, with dark veins; a handsome plant, often standing 3 or 4 feet (1 m) high and growing freely in fields, hedgerows and in fallow fields.