Althaea officinalis, the marshmallow or marsh Mallow, is a flowering species of plant native to North Africa, Western Asia, and Europe. The name of the genus “Althaea” is derived from the Greek word “althäeis” for “heal, promote“.
The name of the plant family to which the real marshmallow belongs, the Malvaceae (mallow) family, is of Greek origin – “malake” meaning something “soft“. The Althaea genus consists of 6 to 12 species[1] of perennial grasses.
