Can anyone tell me what this weed is?

[pebble]

You have a septic tank that is capable of calling men chuck? How innovative.

[kaviare]

I managed to pick up a copy of 'Let Stalk Strine' for $1 in an op shop. Anyone read it? It's fantastic.

My manpanion's nickname appears to not be 'bastard' but 'f*#ker'. As in 'hey! You f*#ker!' Cheeky as a magpie, he is. (I just realised that that's really rude. The other meaning had honestly not occured to me )

Well, I've just woken up with a chesty cough, so I might give a concoction a whirl tonight. I might also try propogating it (apparently you can move the root or make cuttings) as it's all big shrubs of it right in the walkways. But, of course it is. Perhaps I will use the seeds to tint fairy floss (is there nothing this plant cannot do?!). It apparently also has magical uses, being carried to attract love, or made into a tincture to protect against the evil eye.

It's interesting about the roots. My plants all have really shallow roots, but I guess they are in rocky soil. Come to think of it, at our last place they did an excellent job of digging up the soil so that you could literally see piles of worm castings around their bases.

I can't believe I had such a wonderful plant in my garden, and thought it was a pesky weed! Just goes to show, I guess...

[pebble]

I've found it to be fairly shallow rooting too, in clay soils anyway. I've not had much luck with transplanting. A root or cutting might be worth a go though. You're very lucky having so much, it's hard to get it to go wild here.

[Michaelangelica]

I've found it to be fairly shallow rooting too, in clay soils anyway. I've not had much luck with transplanting. A root or cutting might be worth a go though. You're very lucky having so much, it's hard to get it to go wild here.

probably easiest grown from seed, possibly a annual anyway.
it grows where it wants to grow (usually in footpaths in Urban wastelands) and dosn't take kindly to replanting IMHE
the original source of marshmallow (any old recipes out there?)
soothing, demulcent contains a lot of mucilage
related to hollyhock which is useful for seeing the fairies.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...:1&um=1&itbs=1
http://ayardinfortpierce.blogspot.co...-plant_08.html

Most 'weeds" are full of potent chemicals that protect them.
We use these as they are medicinal.
Most, probably all, weeds are medicinal

[Grahame]

Maybe mine just have tough roots, cause they ain't easy to pull

[purplepear]

Going back to my hort studies i seem to remember the mallows is the largest plant family and includes hibiscus and is determined by dissecting the flower but I forget what to look for in the dissected flower.

[sun burn]

Since I don't know anything about Mallow, i will stick with the other topic. Yes I have read let stalk strine. I think i was 16 or so at the time. I think we've lost it in one of our many moves unfortunately I remember my father telling me that when he was in the philippines, the taxi drivers could only understand where he was from if he said Strya. .

[Michaelangelica]

Ethnobotanical and scientific aspects of Malva sylvestris L.: a millennial herbal medicine. [Review]
Gasparetto JC. Martins CA. Hayashi SS. Otuky MF. Pontarolo R.
Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacology. 64(2):172-89, 2012 Feb.Abstract
Objectives Malva sylvestris L., known as common mallow, is native to Europe, North Africa and Asia. In the Mediterranean region, this species has a long history of use as food, and due to its therapeutic relevance, some parts of this plant have been employed in traditional and ethnoveterinary medicines.
The leaves in particular have been reported to have potent anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-complementary, anticancer and skin tissue integrity activity. Additionally, an anti-ulcerogenic effect was recently proven, demonstrating that the aqueous extract was more effective than cimetidine, a potent medicine used to treat gastric ulcers. Due to its wide use and medicinal importance, many studies have been conducted; however, the information in the literature is very extensive and disseminated, making it difficult to use.

Key findings  A complete review involving the ethnobotanical and scientific aspects of M. sylvestris has been made. The research has provided evidence that M. sylvestris has potential use as a medicinal plant and has highlighted a need for more studies involving clinical and toxicological aspects of its use.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/1...383.x/abstract

if we had a sensible academic publishing system you could access the full report.
Full text could be obtained from a uni or State library medline access

The flowers of M. sylvestris are almost odourless and have a mucilaginous taste when chewed. They are 3–5 cm wide and have an epicalyx; the rest of the stalk does not exceed 20 mm in length.[25] The flower consists of an epicalyx with three oblong or elliptical-lanceolate parts that are shorter than those of the calyx and are situated immediately below it; the calyx has five pubescent triangular lobes, and gamosepalous at the bases. A corolla three to four times longer than the calyx with five wedge-shaped, notched petals is fused to the stamen tube at their base. Numerous stamens, the filaments of which fuse into a stamina tube covered by small star-shaped trichomes and occasional simple trichomes are visible under magnification, and numerous wrinkled carpels, glabrous or sometimes pubescent, enclosed in the stamen tube are arranged into a circle around a central style that ends with numerous filiform stigmas. In cultivated varieties, the epicalyx is three to seven partite, the calyx is five to eight partite, and the corolla is five to 10 partite.[26,27]

The leaves are simple, membranous, pubescent and velvey on both sides. They are green even when dry, have long petioles and are orbicular to reniform, palminervous and lobed, with three, five, seven or nine shallow lobes. They have rounded or acute apexes, with a truncated subcordiform, dentate-crenate and measure 7–15 cm in diameter.

[purplepear]

That flower stuff - thats what I meant. Thanks MA

[cottager]

I rather like to add a chopped top from common mallows and add it (washed & whole) to soups and stews ... I fetch it out just before serving (in the same way you would fetch out bay leaves). The mallow thickens the soup/stew nicely (not too much) and adds just a hint of sweetness.

It's one of my favourite "weeds".