althaea

Thân thiện

A gardener carefully tends to a blooming althaea in the flower bed.

Definition

Noun: 1. Any plant of the genus Althaea: A type of flowering plant belonging to the mallow family (Malvaceae). These plants are characterized by their hairy stems and leaves, and are similar to but typically have smaller flowers than plants of the closely related genus Alcea (hollyhocks).

Examples of Usage

• The garden featured several althaea plants, their delicate pink blooms nodding in the breeze.
• , commonly known as marshmallow, is the most well-known species of althaea.
• Botanists studied the differences between the althaea and its larger-flowered relative, the hollyhock.

Advanced Usage

• The genus name "Althaea" is derived from the Greek word , meaning "to heal," referencing the medicinal properties of some species.
• In historical and herbal contexts, "althaea" is often used specifically to refer to (the marshmallow plant), from which the original confection was made.

Variants and Related Words

• Althaea officinalis (n): The scientific name for the common marshmallow plant, a specific species of althaea known for its medicinal root.
• Marshmallow (n): The common name for . (Note: The modern candy "marshmallow" no longer contains extract from this plant.)

Synonyms

• Marshmallow (when referring specifically to )
• Mallow (a broader term for plants in the family Malvaceae, which includes the genus )

Related Terms

• Genus Alcea (n): The genus comprising hollyhocks, which are closely related to but generally have larger flowers than plants of the genus .
• Malvaceae (n): The botanical family name for the mallow family, to which althaea belongs.

Học thuật

Noun

1. any of various plants of the genus Althaea; similar to but having smaller flowers than genus Alcea

Từ đồng nghĩa

• althea
• hollyhock