Common Mallow - "Cheeses"

Rose-lavender flowers with notched petals (heart-shaped). The leaves are rounded and toothed.

The common name "Cheeses" comes from the similarity of the shape of the flat, rounded fruits to a "round" of cheese.

Common Mallow is edible and also has medicinal properties. The leaves are edible and nutritious. They have mucilaginous properties, which tend to thicken soup. Leaf or root mallow tea is used to treat coughs and stomachaches, in addition to other ailments.