MALVACELE, the mallow worts, a natural order of useful plants, comprising the East Indian gencra,—abutilon, althrea, hibiscus, gossypium, inalachra, malva, pavonia, senra, aida, thespesia, and urena. The mallow warts are extremely numerous in species ; these abound chiefly in tropical parts of the world in the form of trees and shrubs, though the mallow and marsh-mallow extend to temperate climates. They are remark ably destitute of all noxious properties, are muci laginous, afford from the inner layers of the bark useful fibre, and many are employed in different countries as sources of commercial products,—the genera malva, hibiscus, sida, althma, lavatera, and urena yielding tenacious fibres suited for cordage and otherpurposes, and the hairy cover ing of the seeds of the various species of gossy pium forms the raw cotton so important to manufacturers. The seeds of Abclmoschus mos chatus are warm and musky, and are employed in perfumery as a substitute for musk. Those of A. esculentus form the ochra, much used in hot countries as a mucilaginous ingredient in soups. A few species are acid, as Hibiscus sabdariffa. Tenacious fibres are procured from the inner bark of H. elatus and H. tiliacea, and several kinds of sida. Urena lobata and U. sinuata, the one called bun-ochra and the other kunga, and common in most parts of India, also abound in strong fibre, and a tolerable fine substitute for flax. Tho common mallow (Malva sylvestris, etc.) of Europe, and the marsh-mallow (Althina officinalis), abound in fibre. Malva crisps is said by Cavannilles to have its fibre separated in Syria, and Althma cannabina is sometimes so employed in the south of Europe ; so Lavatera arborea, or tree mallow, will be found to abound in fibre. As emollients they are well known in medical practice, the marsh-mallow (Althzea officinalis) being one of the most useful among this kind of remedial sub stances. Malva cuneifolia is an annual growing in single plants here and there all over the Burmese country, but chiefly in the jungle. It affords a
strong yellowish-white fibre, but it would be diffi cult to collect it in any quantity. M. tilisefolia, straggling annual widely dispersed in Burma during the rains. Its fibre resembles jute. Some of the best materials for paper-making in India are the barks of trees allied to the hibiscus, mul berry, malvaceous and cotton plants ; the bau hinias, grewia, and guazuma or bastard cedar. The principles of cleaning them are the same as for other fibres, viz. to get away the sap and juices of the plants as soon as possible, and if this is done within 20 or 30 hours after the plant is cut,• a nearly pure white strong fibre can be obtained. Several trees contain tannin, which almost immediately begins to discolour the fibre of the bark, as soon as the branch is cut off from the parent tree. To remove this, a caustic ley made of fresh burnt lime and wood ashes should be prepared, and the bark, after having been stripped off, well beaten with sticks and washed with water, may be soaked for one night in this caustic ley ; next morning the bark should be well beaten with sticks on a flat board, washed with clean water, and hung up in the shade to dry. In this way very strong and nearly white materials for paper can be prepared at a cheap rate. The beating or crushing allows the water to remove the sap, and the tannin is dissolved by the alkali before the fibres have time to get dis coloured.-3.PClelland ; Riddell; Royle; Murray.
Kungi ki pat, ". HIND. .1 Khatmi sated, . HIND.
It in most Parts of India. ,PARVIFOLIA. Linn.
SoriChal of . . I Ravi. Nary of . . SIITLEJ.
• . Panirak, Supra, TR.-IND.
In women clean their hair with an infusiOn of. the. root, and woollen cloth is washed by its aid. , Bellew states, that the root is used as resha khatmi 2 See Altha rosea.