Hacettepe University Journal of the Faculty of Pharmacy, cilt.28, sa.2, ss.133-148, 2008 (Scopus)
Species of Althaea are annual or perennial herbs and are known vernacularly as "hatmi". They have a broad distribution. In Turkey, four Althaea L. species ( A. cannabina L., A. armeniaca Ten., A. officinalis L., A. hirsuta L.) grow naturally on the river and road banks, preferring moist and sandy soils. Their rootstock and leaves are rich in mucilage. They are commonly used in traditional medicine as a soothing tea for cough, peptic ulcers and inflammation of the mucosa of mouth, throat and stomach. In this study, anatomical characteristics of stem and leaf of Turkish Althaea species were investigated for the first time, thoroughly. They all showed typical Malvaceae elements but exhibited slight differences. The results were demonstrated by photographs and sketches.