Curled mallow, Castillian mallow, Curled cheeseweed
Malva verticillata var. crispa

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

A herb. It grows to 1 m high. The stem is not branched. The leaves are alternate. The leaf stalk is 4-7 cm long. The leaf blade is round and usually with 5-7 lobes. The lobes are round or triangular and 5-8 cm across. They are papery. They are strongly wrinkled. The flowers are white. The fruit are flat and round and 8 mm across. The seeds are kidney shaped and 1 mm across.

There are about 30 Malva species.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in S China. In Sichuan and Yunnan.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Balkans, China, Europe, India, Japan, Macedonia, North America, Pakistan

How it is used for food

The leaves are eaten as a vegetable. They are also used for garnishing and in soups.

It is cultivated as a salad crop.

Edible parts

Leaves

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Dong kui

Synonyms

Now malva