Common Mallow

The Common Mallow (Malva parviflora) is a perennial herb with various medicinal uses. It grows in different regions of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, particularly around farms - especially abandoned ones - as well as in deserted dwellings of Bedouins, waste areas, livestock enclosures, and sandy and semi-sandy soils. It becomes more abundant in rainy spring seasons.

Common mallow is also known as "Khabbaza" and "al-khabbaz" and is called "Tibaq" in the Eastern Province. It is a broad-leaved herb that produces a round fruit and contains a sticky mucilaginous substance. The plant grows up to forty cm tall and is covered with stellate hairs. The leaves of common mallow are round to kidney-shaped, reaching a width of eight cm, with a petiole extending up to six cm. Its flowers are white with a pinkish hue, clustering in the leaf axils, while its fruit is segmented into twelve mericarps.

Common mallow is edible and consumed like other leafy vegetables, and animals also feed on it. However, in large quantities, it can cause infertility or even death in cattle, horses, and sheep. The herb has various medicinal applications. A poultice of boiled leaves is used to treat certain types of skin rashes, promote sweating, and for postnatal cleansing. The seeds of the plant are used as a soothing agent and cough suppressant, as well as for treating bladder ulcers. Additionally, it is beneficial in treating gastric ulcers and burning urination.