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Abutilon

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Abutilon megapotamicum


Plant Characteristics
Habit   shrub

Lifespan: ⌛ perennial, annual
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ sun, part-sun
Water: ◍ moist, moderate
Features: ✓ evergreen, flowers, fragrance, naturalizes
Sunset Zones: 8, 9, 12-27
Scientific Names

Malvaceae >

Abutilon >


Abutilon is a large genus of about 150 species of broadleaf evergreens in the mallow family (Malvaceae),. The genus includes annuals, perennials, shrubs, and small trees ranging from 1-10 m tall. Leaves are alternate, unlobed or palmately lobed with 3-7 lobes. The flowers are conspicuous, have five petals, and come mostly in red, pink, orange, yellow or white.

Common names include Abutilon, Chinese Bell Flower, Chinese Lantern, Mallow, Indian Mallow, and Flowering Maple. The names with maple refer to the maple-like leaves of some species, though the genus is not related to true maples).


Read about Abutilon in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Abutilon (name of Arabic origin for a malvaceous plant). Malvaceae. Flowering Maple. Attractive coolhouse shrubs and window-plants, and some kinds used for bedding. Sometimes called Chinese Bellflower.

Leaves long-stalked, often maple-like: fls. mostly pendulous, with naked 5-cleft calyx, 5 separate obovate petals, many stamens united in a column about the many-branched style, the anthers borne at the top of the column: fr. a collection or aggregate of 2-valved often beaked carpels that are deciduous from the central axis at maturity.—Natives of warm regions in both hemispheres, comprising herbs, shrubs and trees; about 80 species.

The abutilons oftenest seen in American gardens and conservatories are apparently hybrids and derivatives of pure species. The colors are mostly yellow, white and pink, with attractive veining. Well-known forms are: Arthur Belsham, red, shaded gold. Boule de Neige, pure white, very free. California, a group of free bloomers. Eclipse, foliage marbled green, and yellow fls. of fair size; sepals scarlet; petals orange-buff; suited for baskets and vases; a form of A. megapotamicum (another Eclipse is known). Erecta, pink, orange-veined, erect fls. Golden Bell, deep yellow, free-flowering. Golden Fleece, pure yellow, free-flowering. Royal Scarlet, rich, shining scarlet. Santana, deep red. Savitzii, dwarf, with white-edged foliage; useful for bedding. Snowstorm, semi-dwarf, pure white. Souvenir de Bonn, lvs. large, deep green, not mottled, but edged with a broad white margin; distinct and striking; a useful bedding plant. Splendens, bright red.CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

Abutilons are popular garden plants in subtropical areas. The hardiest species, A. ochsenii and A. vitifolium from Chile, are hardy in warm temperate areas with moderate frost down to about -10°C.

Abutilon x 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.

The cultivation of abutilons is simple, under conditions suitable for the growing of geraniums and fuchsias. Some of the forms are grown primarily for bloom, and they are practically continuous-flowering when well handled; the variegated-leaved forms are grown for foliage and used more or less for bedding-out. Abutilons make good pot-plants if kept within bounds by pinching back so that they will branch. A. megapotamicum and some others are useful for baskets and vases. The showy A. insigne is an excellent rafter-plant.CH

Propagation

Propagation is by cuttings or seeds. Cuttings may be made in spring of new wood from old plants that have been cut back, or they may be taken in fall; as the abutilon is active practically all the year, the cuttings may be taken almost at will. Seeds grow readily; if started in March, blooming plants should be had by fall. Bedding material is raised from early-Struck cuttings.CH

Pests and diseases

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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.

Species

Specieswp

Hybrids


Read about Abutilon in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Abutilon IndexCH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Gallery

  • A. incanum (Hoary Abutilon)

  • Flower of A. megapotamicum

  • A. menziesii (Kooloaula)

  • A. menziesii flowers

  • A. pictum

References

External links


  1. ↑ Britton & Millspaugh, p. 265
  2. ↑ Britton & Millspaugh, p. 265
  3. ↑ Britton & Millspaugh, p. 266
  4. ↑ Britton & Millspaugh, p. 265
  5. ↑ Britton & Millspaugh, p. 265–266
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