Japanese name: マーシュマロウ Scientific name:Althaea officinalis
[Overview]
A perennial growing to about 1 m tall.
The stems and leaves have soft hairs and feel velvety.
Leaves are simple and alternate, ovate to heart-shaped, shallowly palmately lobed, with long leaf stalks.
The flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils; they have 5 petals, are 2–3 cm across, and are pale pink to red.
The fruit is a ring of mericarps that do not split open even when ripe.
[Uses]
The root is called Altea root (arutea-kon) and is used as a stomach medicine and an excipient; it is also said to have been the prototype of the confection marshmallow.
The young leaves and flowers are used as herbal tea.
[Cultivation]
In horticulture it is often treated as an annual or biennial.
It prefers fertile soil that is well drained and sunny.
Propagate from seed.
Leafrollers can occur.
