Abutilon
Encyclopedia
Abutilon is a large genus
of approximately 150 species of broadleaf evergreen
s in the mallow
family, Malvaceae
. The genus includes annuals
, perennials
, shrub
s, and small tree
s from 1–10 m tall, and is found in the tropical and subtropical regions of all continents. The leaves
are alternate, unlobed or palmately lobed with 3-7 lobes. The flower
s are conspicuous, with five petals, mostly red, pink, orange, yellow or white.
Common names include Abutilon, Chinese Bell Flower, Chinese Lantern, Mallow, Indian Mallow, and Flowering Maple (for the maple-like leaves of some species, although the genus is not related to the true maple
s).
The generic name is derived from the Arabic
word أبو طيلون = Abu Tilon.
Abutilon species are used as food plants by the larvae
of some lepidoptera
species including Yellow-banded Skipper
(which feeds exclusively on A. avicennae) and Chionodes mariona
.
plants in subtropical areas. The hardiest species, A. vitifolium from Chile
, is hardy in warm temperate areas with moderate frost down to about -10 C
Abutilon × hybridum is a popular group of hybrids that are semi-tropical, frost-tender shrubs typically growing 2–3 m tall. The lantern-like buds open to solitary, pendulous, bell- to cup-shaped flowers to 8 cm diameter with five overlapping petals and significant staminal columns typical of the mallow family. Flowers come in red, pink, yellow, white and pastel shades. Lobed, maple-like, light green leaves are often variegated with white and yellow.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of approximately 150 species of broadleaf evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
s in the mallow
Malva
Malva is a genus of about 25–30 species of herbaceous annual, biennial, and perennial plants in the family Malvaceae , one of several closely related genera in the family to bear the common English name mallow. The genus is widespread throughout the temperate, subtropical and tropical regions of...
family, Malvaceae
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
. The genus includes annuals
Annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
, perennials
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
, shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s, and small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s from 1–10 m tall, and is found in the tropical and subtropical regions of all continents. The leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are alternate, unlobed or palmately lobed with 3-7 lobes. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are conspicuous, with five petals, mostly red, pink, orange, yellow or white.
Common names include Abutilon, Chinese Bell Flower, Chinese Lantern, Mallow, Indian Mallow, and Flowering Maple (for the maple-like leaves of some species, although the genus is not related to the true maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
s).
The generic name is derived from the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
word أبو طيلون = Abu Tilon.
Abutilon species are used as food plants by the larvae
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
of some lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species including Yellow-banded Skipper
Yellow-banded Skipper
The Yellow-banded Skipper is a species of skipper . It is found in southern and eastern Europe.Pyrgus species are usually difficult to separate in the field but P. sidae is a notable exception...
(which feeds exclusively on A. avicennae) and Chionodes mariona
Chionodes
Chionodes is a genus of moths of the family Gelechiidae. Members of this group can be found in most parts of the world. Many species of this genus utilize Douglas-fir as a host plant for their larvae.-Species:Species in this genus include:...
.
Species
- A. abutiloides (Jacq.Nikolaus Joseph von JacquinNikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin or Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin. was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany....
) GarckeChristian August Friedrich GarckeChristian August Friedrich Garcke was a German botanist who was a native of Bräunrode, Saxony-Anhalt.In 1865 he was appointed curator at the Royal Botanical Museum in Berlin, and in 1871 became an associate professor specializing in pharmacognosy...
– Bushy Abutilon - A. albescens Miq.Friedrich Anton Wilhelm MiquelFriedrich Anton Wilhelm Miquel was a Dutch botanist.He was head of the botanical gardens at Rotterdam , Amsterdam and Utrecht . He directed the Rijksherbarium at Leiden from 1862...
- A. auritum (Wall.Nathaniel WallichNathaniel Wallich was a surgeon and botanist of Danish origin who worked in India initially in the Danish settlement near Calcutta and later joined the East India Company...
ex LinkJohann Heinrich Friedrich LinkJohann Heinrich Friedrich Link was a German naturalist and botanist.Link was born at Hildesheim as a son of the minister August Heinrich Link , who taught him the love for nature through collection of 'natural objects'...
) SweetRobert Sweet (botanist)Robert Sweet was an English botanist, horticulturist and ornithologist.Born at Cockington near Torquay, Devonshire, England in 1783, Sweet worked as a gardener from the age of sixteen, and became foreman or partner in a series of nurseries. He was associated with nurseries at Stockwell, Fulham...
– Asian Indian Mallow - A. bedfordianum (Hook.William Jackson HookerSir William Jackson Hooker, FRS was an English systematic botanist and organiser. He held the post of Regius Professor of Botany at Glasgow University, and was the first Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He enjoyed the friendship and support of Sir Joseph Banks for his exploring,...
) A.St.-Hil. – Bedford's Mallow - A. berlandieri GraySamuel Frederick GraySamuel Frederick Gray was a British botanist, mycologist, and pharmacologist. He was the father of the zoologists John Edward Gray and George Robert Gray.-Background:...
ex S.Watson – Berlandier's Indian Mallow - A. bidentatum A. Rich.
- A. buchii Urb.Ignatz UrbanIgnatz Urban was a German botanist. He is known for his contributions to the flora of the Caribbean and Brazil, and for his work as curator of the Berlin Botanical Garden. Born the son of a brewer, Urban showed an interest in botany as an undergraduate...
- A. darwiniiAbutilon darwiniiAbutilon darwinii is a shrub typically growing 2 m tall, native to Brazil . The flowers are pink.-References: LORENZI, H.; SOUZA, M.S. Plantas Ornamentais no Brasil: arbustivas, herbáceas e trepadeiras. ISBN 85-86714-12-7...
Hook.f.Joseph Dalton HookerSir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
– Darwin's Mallow - A. eremitopetalumAbutilon eremitopetalumAbutilon eremitopetalum, commonly known as the Hidden-petaled Abutilon or Hiddenpetal Indian Mallow, is a species of flowering shrub in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is endemic to dry forests and low shrublands on the windward side of the island of Lānai in Hawaii...
CaumEdward Leonard CaumEdward Leonard Caum was a United States botanist known for his work on plant species in Hawaii.In the 1920s, Caum was working with the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association , and with the help of W. W. G. Moir of American Factors, the two helped preserve a collection of Native Hawaii sugarcane...
– Hiddenpetal Indian Mallow (LānaiLanaiLānai or Lanai is the sixth-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is also known as the Pineapple Island because of its past as an island-wide pineapple plantation. The only town is Lānai City, a small settlement....
in Hawaii) - A. fruticosum Guill.Jean Baptiste Antoine GuilleminJean Baptiste Antoine Guillemin was a French botanist.In 1812 he was apprenticed to a pharmacist in Dijon, and in 1814 moved to Geneva, where he studied with Jean Pierre Étienne Vaucher and Augustin Pyramus de Candolle...
& Perr.George Samuel PerrottetGeorge Samuel Perrottet was a Swiss-born, French botanist and horticulturalist who was a native of Vully, canton Vaud....
– Texas Indian Mallow - A. giganteum (Jacq.) Sweet
- A. grandiflorum G.Don
- A. grandifoliumAbutilon grandifoliumAbutilon grandifolium, or Hairy Indian Mallow, is a large shrub that is 2 m high with broad, 1-6 cm leaves. The fruits are schizocarps that are 1.4-1.5 cm in diameter and 1-1.1 cm tall....
(Willd.) Sweet – Hairy Indian Mallow - A. greveanum (Baill.Henri Ernest BaillonHenri Ernest Baillon was a French botanist and physician. He was born in Calais on November 30, 1827 and died in Paris on July 19, 1895.Baillon spent his professional life as a professor of natural history, and he published numerous works on botany...
) Hochr.Bénédict Pierre Georges HochreutinerBénédict Pierre Georges Hochreutiner was a Swiss botanist and plant taxonomist.- References :... - A. hirtum (Lam.Jean-Baptiste LamarckJean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...
) Sweet – Hairy Abutilon - A. hulseanum Torr. ex A.GrayAsa Gray-References:*Asa Gray. Dictionary of American Biography. American Council of Learned Societies, 1928–1936.*Asa Gray. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed. 17 Vols. Gale Research, 1998.*Asa Gray. Plant Sciences. 4 vols. Macmillan Reference USA, 2001....
- A. hypoleucum A.Gray – Whiteleaf Indian Mallow
- A. incanumAbutilon incanumAbutilon icanum, also known as hoary abutilon, pelotazo, pelotazo chico, tronadora, and mao , is a shrub widespread throughout the arid, warm regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico as well as Hawaii.It grows to between in height; the leaves are ovate to lance-ovate in shape,...
(Link) Sweet – Hoary Abutilon, Pelotazo (Southwestern United StatesSouthwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, northern MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
) - A. indicumAbutilon indicumAbutilon indicum Abutilon indicum Abutilon indicum (Indian Abutilon, Indian Mallow; is a small shrub in the Malvaceae family, native to tropic and subtropical regions and sometimes cultivated as an ornamental...
(L.) Sweet – Indian Mallow - A. insigne Planch.Jules Émile PlanchonJules Émile Planchon was a French botanist born in Ganges, Hérault.-Biography:After receiving his Doctorate of Science at the University of Montpellier in 1844, he worked for a while at the Royal Botanical Gardens in London, and for a few years was a teacher in Nancy and Ghent...
- A. julianaeAbutilon julianaeAbutilon julianae is a small shrub of the genus Abutilon believed endemic to Norfolk Island, where it was last seen about 1910. For more than seventy years it was considered extinct, apparently killed out by grazing stock....
Endl. - A. lauraster Hochr.Bénédict Pierre Georges HochreutinerBénédict Pierre Georges Hochreutiner was a Swiss botanist and plant taxonomist.- References :...
- A. leonardi Urb. – Woolly Abutilon
- A. leucopetalum (F.Muell.) F.Muell. ex Benth.George BenthamGeorge Bentham CMG FRS was an English botanist, characterized by Duane Isely as "the premier systematic botanist of the nineteenth century".- Formative years :...
- A. listeriAbutilon listeriAbutilon listeri , commonly known as the Lantern Flower, is a tropical shrub in the Malvaceae or mallow family. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the north-eastern Indian Ocean...
Baker f. - A. longicuspe Hochst.Christian Ferdinand Friedrich HochstetterChristian Ferdinand Friedrich Hochstetter was a German botanist and Protestant minister who was a native of Stuttgart. He was the father of geologist Ferdinand Hochstetter ....
ex A. Rich. - A. malacum S. Watson – Yellow Indian Mallow
- A. mauritianum (Jacq.) Medik.Friedrich Kasimir MedikusFriedrich Kasimir Medikus was a German physician and botanist.He was born at Grambach and became director of the University of Heidelberg and curator of the botanical garden at Mannheim...
- A. megapotamicumAbutilon megapotamicumAbutilon megapotamicum is a species of Abutilon native to Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay. It is a shrub growing to 2.5 m tall, with leaves 5–8 cm long, ovate to shallowly three-lobed...
A.St.-Hil. & NaudinCharles Victor NaudinCharles Victor Naudin was a French naturalist and botanist.-Biography:He studied at Bailleul-sur-Thérain in 1825, then to Limoux, a graduate of the University of Montpellier in 1837, he was preceptor in 1838 and obtained his doctorate in 1842...
– Trailing Abutilon - A. menziesiiAbutilon menziesiiAbutilon menziesii, known as Kooloaula in Hawaiian, is an endangered species of flowering shrub in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii.It inhabits dry forests on the islands of Lānai, Maui, Oahu, and Hawaii...
Seem.Berthold Carl SeemannBerthold Carl Seemann 25 February 1825 Hanover, Germany - 10 October 1871 Nicaragua, Central America, was a German botanist. He travelled widely and collected and described plants from the Pacific and South America....
– Kooloaula (HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
) - A. mollicomum (Willd.) Sweet – Sonoran Indian Mallow
- A. mollissimum
- A. muticum
- A. niveum Griseb.August GrisebachAugust Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach was a German botanist and phytogeographer. Born in Hannover on April 17, 1814, he died at Göttingen on May 9, 1879.- Biography :...
– White-flowered Abutilon - A. palmeriAbutilon palmeriAbutilon palmeri is a species of Abutilon native the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.-Description:...
A.Gray – Palmer's Indian Mallow - A. parishii A.Watson – Parish's Indian Mallow
- A. parvulumAbutilon parvulumAbutilon parvulum is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name dwarf Indian mallow.It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. This is a perennial herb growing from a woody root and producing a multibranched stem to a maximum height near 40...
A.Gray – Dwarf Indian Mallow - A. pauciflorum A.St.-Hil. – Woolly Abutilon
- A. permolle (Willd.) Sweet (Velvety Abutilon
- A. pictumAbutilon pictumAbutilon pictum is a species of Abutilon native to Brazil and Argentina. It is a shrub growing to 5 m tall, with leaves 5–15 cm long, three- to five- lobed...
(GilliesJohn Gillies (botanist)John Gillies, M.D. was a Scottish naval surgeon who later became an explorer and botanist, travelling extensively in South America. Educated at the University of Edinburgh, he served in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Afflicted by tuberculosis, Gillies left the UK aged 28 for South...
ex Hook.) Walp.Wilhelm Gerhard WalpersWilhelm Gerhard Walpers was a German botanist. This botanist is denoted by the author abbreviation Walp. when citing a botanical name.-Works:*Repertorium botanices systematicæ...
– Redvein Abutilon, Red Vein Indian Mallow (syn. A. striatum) - A. pitcairnenseAbutilon pitcairnenseAbutilon pitcairnense is a critically endangered perennial plant that is native to Pitcairn Island. It was once considered extinct, until a single plant was discovered on the island in 2003. At that time, cuttings and seed were used to propagate several plants at a nursery on the island and...
FosbergFrancis Raymond FosbergFrancis Raymond "Ray" Fosberg was an American botanist. A prolific collector and author, he played a significant role in the development of coral reef and island studies.-History:... - A. purpurascens (Link) K.Schum.
- A. reflexum (Juss.Antoine Laurent de JussieuAntoine Laurent de Jussieu was a French botanist, notable as the first to propose a natural classification of flowering plants; much of his system remains in use today.-Life:...
ex Cav.Antonio José CavanillesAntonio José Cavanilles was a leading Spanish taxonomic botanist of the 18th century. He named many plants, particularly from Oceania, his name is abbreviated as Cav...
) Sweet - A. ramiflorum A.St.-Hil.
- A. reventum S.Watson – Yellowflower Indian Mallow
- A. sachetianumAbutilon sachetianumAbutilon sachetianum is a small tree only known from the Marquesas. The species is found in small subpopulations on the islands of Eiao, Hatutaa, Hiva Oa, Mohotani and Nuku Hiva. Populations on Eiao and Hatutaa are in a critically endangered state....
FosbergFrancis Raymond FosbergFrancis Raymond "Ray" Fosberg was an American botanist. A prolific collector and author, he played a significant role in the development of coral reef and island studies.-History:... - A. sandwicenseAbutilon sandwicenseAbutilon sandwicense, commonly known as the Greenflower Indian Mallow, is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, Malvaceae, that is endemic to the island of Oahu, Hawaii, in the United States. It inhabits dry forests on the slopes of the Waianae Range at elevations of . Associated...
(O.Deg.Otto DegenerOtto Degener was a botanist and conservationist who specialized in identifying plants of the Hawaiian Islands.-Life:Otto Degener was born May 13, 1899 in East Orange, New Jersey. Degener graduated from the Massachusetts Agricultural College...
) Christoph.Erling ChristophersenErling Christophersen was a Norwegian botanist, geographer and diplomat. He participated in and led several notable scientific expeditions in the 20th century, including the fifth Tanager Expedition to Nihoa and Necker Island and the Norwegian Scientific Expedition to Tristan da Cunha .-Early...
– Greenflower Indian Mallow (OahuOahuOahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in Hawaii) - A. sellowianum (KlotzschJohann Friedrich KlotzschJohann Friedrich Klotzsch was a German pharmacist and botanist.His principal work was in the field of mycology, with the study and description of many species of mushroom.-Selected works:...
) Regel - A. theophrastiAbutilon theophrastiAbutilon theophrasti is an annual plant in the family Malvaceae, native to southern Asia. It grows to 1 m tall, and has velvet-like heart-shaped leaves 15–25 cm broad...
Medik. – Velvetleaf, Indian Mallow, Butterweed - A. thurberi A.Gray – Thurber's Indian Mallow
- A. thyrsodendron Griseb.August GrisebachAugust Heinrich Rudolf Grisebach was a German botanist and phytogeographer. Born in Hannover on April 17, 1814, he died at Göttingen on May 9, 1879.- Biography :...
- A. trisulcatum (Jacq.) BrittonNathaniel Lord BrittonNathaniel Lord Britton was an American botanist and taxonomist who founded the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, New York. Britton was born in New Dorp in Staten Island, New York...
& Millsp.Charles Frederick MillspaughCharles Frederick Millspaugh was an American botanist, born at Ithaca, N.Y., and educated at Cornell and the New York Homeopathic Medical College. For several years he practiced medicine and from 1891 to 1893 taught botany at West Virginia University... - A. venosum Lem.Charles Antoine LemaireCharles Antoine Lemaire , was a French botanist and botanical author, noted for his publications on Cactaceae....
- A. virginianum Krapov.Antonio KrapovickasAntonio Krapovickas is an Argentine agronomist.Krapovickas received a degree in 1948 in agronomic engineering from the University of Buenos Aires and began teaching in 1949 as Professor of Genetics and Systems Botany at the University of Córdoba...
– Virgin Islands Abutilon - A. wrightii A.Gray
Hybrids
- Abutilon × hybridum – Chinese Lantern (unknown parentage)
- Abutilon × milleri (A. megapotamicum × A. pictum)
- Abutilon × suntense (A. ochsenii × A. vitifolium)
Formerly placed here
- Bakeridesia integerrima (Hook.) D.M.Bates (as A. chittendenii Standl.)
- Briquetia spicata (Kunth) Fryxell (as A. spicatum Kunth)
- Corynabutilon ochsenii (Phil.) Kearney (as A. ochsenii (Phil.) Reiche)
- Corynabutilon vitifolium (Cav.) Kearney (as A. vitifolium (Cav.) C.Presl)
Cultivation and uses
Abutilons are popular gardenGarden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
plants in subtropical areas. The hardiest species, A. vitifolium from Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, is hardy in warm temperate areas with moderate frost down to about -10 C
Abutilon × hybridum is a popular group of hybrids that are semi-tropical, frost-tender shrubs typically growing 2–3 m tall. The lantern-like buds open to solitary, pendulous, bell- to cup-shaped flowers to 8 cm diameter with five overlapping petals and significant staminal columns typical of the mallow family. Flowers come in red, pink, yellow, white and pastel shades. Lobed, maple-like, light green leaves are often variegated with white and yellow.