XI. Read the text and translate it. Do the tasks below.

                         Marsh Mallow or Althea officinalis Linne

The word Althea comes from the Greek and means curing or cooling in reference to the plant’s medicinal qualities. Althea is a perennial herbaceous plant with erect, woody at the base stems attaining the height of about 100-150 cm.

The underground organ of Althea consists of thick, short rhizome and several fleshy whitish roots.

The leaves of Marsh Mallow are entire, alternate, long petiolate, 3 to 5 lobed with dentate margins and acute apex. They are ovate or cordate at the base and both surfaces velvety pubescent.

The flowers are spike-like inflorescences growing in the axils of the leaves in short clusters at the top of the stalk. The pale pink flowers have a double calyx, numerous violet stamens forming one short tube of adhering altogether filaments. Althea fruit is a flat, spherical multiachene.

The roots of Althea are collected in the autumn from plants of the second year’s growth. The roots are usually quickly washed, dried and cut into cubical pieces having a grayish white colour.

The root of Althea contain up to 25% of mucilage, the same amount of starch, pectin, sugars, asparagines, betaine, etc. Althea is a demulcent administered ad libitum in the form of powder, infusion and syrup. It is used as an excellent emollient and expectorant in cough medicines and as an excipient and coating agent in gastric disorders.

Althea is abundant in Europe, Asia and America. It well grows wild and cultivated in meadows and marshes on saline and clay soil near the rivers.

Althea is official in practically all Pharmacopoeia throughout the world.

XII. Group the synonyms.

stalk, acute, notched, broad, edge, margin, wide, sharp, dentate, stem.

XIII. Group the antonyms.

broad, wild, soft, base, ovate, woody, apex, cultivated, narrow, acute.

XIV. Put the appropriate words.

1. Marsh Mallow is a perennial herbaceous plant with … woody stems.

2. The leaves of Althea are 3 to 5 …’ … and long petiolate,

3. The leaves are … and the surfaces are covered with soft downy … hairs.

4. Marsh Mallow roots are cut into small cubical pieces having a … white colour.

5. The roots of Marsh Mallow contain …, starch, asparagines, etc.

6. Althea is used as an excellent … and… in pharmacy.

7. Asparagine is an amido compound which is found in reserve organs such as … of potato, roots of Althea, Belladonna, etc.

 

XV. Complete the sentences.

1. Althea comes from Greek and means … or ….

2. The plant is a perennial herb with erect woody stems attaining ….

3. Marsh Mallow is native to Central Europe and then has been cultivated in …

4. The roots are collected in the autumn from plant of the ….

5. The underground portion of Althea is rich in ….

6. The Althea roots are demulcent administered ….

XVI. Form the nouns from the following verbs:

to cure, to cool, to grow, to collect, to cut, to dry, to consist, to powder, to infuse, to refer, to qualify, to cover, to adhere 

XVII. Translate the following international words and memorize them:

base, dentate, ovate, velvet, double, violet, spherical, cubical, pectin, asparagine, syrup, infusion, gastric, pharmacopoeia

XVIII. Put the appropriate prepositions.
1. Althea comes … the Greek and means curing or cooling.

2. Althea grows wild … meadows and marshes … Europe, Asia and America.

3. The leaves of Marsh Mallow are entire, alternate, long petiolate … acute margins at the tip.

4. The flowers grow … the axils of the leaves.

5. The roots or … Marsh Mallow contain up … 35 percent … mucilage.

6. The roots of Marsh Mallow are used both … scientific and popular medicine.

XIX. Answer the questions.

1. What is Marsh Mallow?

2. Is it a medicinal plant?

3. What part of the plant is of medicinal value?

4. What do the underground organs consist of?

5. What constituents do the roots of Althea contain?

6. Why is Althea used in gastric disorders? 

XX. Make up the plan of retelling the text.

XXI. Retell the text

Lesson IV

Glycyrrhiza (Licorice)

The rules of reading: Letter combinations ph and kn;

Grammar: Past Continuous Passive Voice

Text: Glycyrrhiza (Licorice).

Assignments to do:

Remember:

The rules of reading the letter combinations ph and kn:

the letter combination ph  is pronounced as [f]; e.g.: phone, pharmaceutist

the letter combination kn is pronounced as [n]; e.g.: know, knee, knife