Gen info
- Modiola is a monotypic genus in the mallow family containing the single species Modiola caroliniana. It is a creeping perennial probably native to South America and widely naturalized throughout the tropical and warmer temperate world. (5)
- The genus was introduced by Moench. in 1794, based on Linnaeus' Malva caroliniana. Moench invalidly renamed it as Modiola multifida. Other species have been described within the genus, but most have been reduced to synonymy with Modiola caroliniana, or transferred to Modiolastrum.

Botany
• Mat-forming, hairy perennial with creeping, trailing stems, up to 24 inches long and rooting at nodes. Leaves: Broadly ovate to nearly round in outline and have 3 to 5 lobes, each irregularly incised, up to 2-3/8 inches long and 1-5/8 inches wide, on petioles 1-1/4 inches long. Inflorescence: Small, solitary flowers about 1/2-inch across arising from the leaf axils; 5 salmon-colored to purplish-red spreading petals are 1/4-inch long or less; yellow stamens surround the red pistil that is divided into a number of segments; 5 sepals just below petals; 3 lanceolate leafy bracts below. (6)

• Carolina Bristle Mallow is an annual or perennial herb native to tropical America and warm temperate eastern North America, and widely naturalized throughout the tropical world. It has prostrate, hairy stems, rooting at the nodes, from which arise upright flowering stems. Leaves are variable, being 5-8 cm long, 2-5 cm wide, triangular to circular, kidney-shaped in overall outline, varying from shallowly toothed, to deeply 3- to 7-palmately lobed, such lobes often themselves pinnately lobed. The 4-5 mm long, ciliate, persistent, stipules are leafy. Orange-red flowers are borne solitarily or rarely in pairs in the leaf axils, on stalks 2-4 cm long. Flowers have 3 free, narrowly lanceshaped false-sepals, borne about 1 mm below the 5 broadly triangular-ovate sepals. Flowers have 5 orange-red obovate petals, often red at the base, each 3-8 mm in length, unnotched and adnate to the base of the stamen column. The stamen column is shorter than the petals, and yellowish in color. The filaments, numbering 10-20, are borne solely at the tip of the column. The stigmas, borne on filiform style-branches, are head-like. The fruit is a schizocarp composed of roughly 20 black, 2-seeded, kidney-shaped mericarps, borne in a single whorl. (Flowers of India)

Distribution
- Naturalized. (1)
- In Luzon: NCR.
- Cultivated and occasionally running wild.
- According to Blouchard the US specimen was previously misidentified and unfortunately designated neotype of Hibiscus batacensis Blanco. (L.L.Co) (1)
- Native to Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Argentina South, Bolivia, Brazil South, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Juan Fernández Is., Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay. (2)
- A grassland plant, commonly occurring in gardens and lawns and in moist habitats such as shores of ponds and reservoirs. It propagates vegetatively by rooting at the nodes. In Australia, seeds as reported to germinate from scats of deer, but not of native kangaroos. (5)
- In some places, considered an invasive weed.

Constituents
- No studies found.

Properties
- Toxicity concerns: Reports suggest toxicity to livestock: poisoning and paralysis or neurological "staggers" in goats, sheep, and cattle, attributed to possible nitrate toxicosis, found in some Malva species.

Parts used
Leaves, roots, flowers.

Uses
Edibility
- The Cajuns make a refreshing drink from an infusion of leaves soaked in a quart of water for 2 or more hours.
- Caution: Not known to be severely poisonous to humans, hairy leaves and stems can cause mild throat irritation when eaten raw. While traditionally consumed and used topically, some research advise caution: large ingestion of the plant by livestock can cause toxicity, staggers and paralysis.
Folkloric
- No reported folkloric medicinal use in the Philippines.
- Dr. Daniel Austin in Floria Ethnobotany reports of its use as gargle for sore throats, tonsillitis, and diphtheria; as an emollient and sedative, and for treatment of edema. Cold water extract used as "healing bath" and also for menstrual issues. Mention is made of poisoning and paralysis of sheep, goats, and cattle, possibly nitrate toxicosis, which is sometimes found in Malva species. (3)
- Leaves, roots and flowers used for soothing, anti-inflammatory, and mucilaginous properties.
- In Latin America, decoction of leaves applied topically for wound healing. (4)
- In Louisiana, poultice made from pulverized bristle mallow stems and leaves mixed with corn flour and pig grease use as anti-inflammatory for treatment of skin problems, boils, pimples, and stye. Also, more effectively, combined with elderberry leaves and prickly pear cactus to make a triple poultice that is applied to the skin. (7)

Studies
• No studies found.

Availability
- Wild-crafted.

Additional Sources and Suggested Readings
(1)
Malavaceae: Modiola caroliniana (L.) G.Don / Co's Digital Flora of the Philippines
(2)
Modiola caroliniana / KEW: Plants of the World Online
(3)
Carolina Birstle Mallow - Modiola caroliniana / Green Deane / Eat the Weeds
(4)
Medicinal Plants from Latin America with Wound Healing Activity: Ethnomedicine, Phytochemistry, Preclinical and Clinical Studies—A Review / Anuar Salazar-Gomez, Angel Josabad Alonso-Castro / Pharmaceuticals (Basel), 2022; 15(9): 1095 / DOI: 10.3390/ph15091095
(5)
Modiola / Wikipedia
(6)
Modiola caroliniana: Carolina Bristle-mallow / Texas Wildbuds
(7)
Swamp Medicine: The therapeutic potential of traditional healing plants of Louisiana / Caludia S Copeland PhD / Healthcare Journal of Baton Rouge
(8)
The Modiola Page: Moiola caroliniana (L.) G.Don / Stewart Robert Hinsley

DOI: It is not uncommon for links on studies/sources to change. Copying and pasting the information on the search window or using the DOI (if available) will often redirect to the new link page. (Citing and Using a (DOI) Digital Object Identifier)