Abutilon

? Abutilon
Abutilon megapotamicum
Plant Info
Common name(s): Flowering Maple, Chinese Bellflower, Chinese Lanter Growth habit: Evergreen Vine-Shrub Lifespan: ⌛ varies to species Exposure: ☼ Sun, part-shade in hot summer areas Water: ☂ regular to moderate Features: ❀ Flowers, Fragrance, Naturalizes Hardiness: ❆ Frost sensitive Sunset Zones: 8, 9, 12-27
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Abutilon Mill.

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).

Species

• A. abutiloides (Jacq.) Garcke (Bushy Abutilon).
• A. albescens Miq.
• A. auritum (Wall. ex Link) Sweet (Asian Indian Mallow)
• A. bedfordianum (Hook.) A. St.-Hil. (Bedford's Mallow)
• A. berlandieri Gray ex S. Watson (Berlandier's Indian Mallow)
• A. bidentatum A. Rich.
• A. buchii Urb.
• A. darwinii Hook.f. (Darwin's Mallow)
• A. eremitopetalum Caum (Hiddenpetal Indian Mallow)
• A. fruticosum Guill. & Perr. (Texas Indian Mallow)
• A. giganteum (Jacq.) Sweet
• A. grandiflorum G. Don
• A. grandifolium (Willd.) Sweet (Hairy Indian Mallow)
• A. hirtum (Lam.) Sweet (Hairy Abutilon).
• A. hulseanum Torr. ex A. Gray
• A. hypoleucum A. Gray (Whiteleaf Indian Mallow)
• A. incanum (Link) Sweet (Hoary Abutilon, Pelotazo)
• A. indicum (L.) Sweet (Indian Mallow)
• A. insigne Planch.
• A. julianae Endl.
• A. leonardi Urb. (Woolly Abutilon)
• A. leucopetalum (F. Muell.) F. Muell. ex Benth.
• A. longicuspe Hochst. ex A. Rich.
• A. malacum S. Watson (Yellow Indian Mallow)
• A. mauritianum (Jacq.) Medik.
• A. megapotamicum A. St.-Hil. & Naudin (Trailing Abutilon)
• A. menziesii Seem. (Ko'oloa'ula)
• A. mollicomum (Willd.) Sweet (Sonoran Indian Mallow)
• A. mollissimum
• A. niveum Griseb. (White-flowered Abutilon)
• A. ochsenii Phil.
• A. palmeri A. Gray (Palmer's Indian Mallow)
• A. parishii A. Watson (Parish's Indian Mallow)
• A. parvulum A. Gray (Dwarf Indian Mallow)
• A. pauciflorum A. St.-Hil. (Woolly Abutilon).
• A. permolle (Willd.) Sweet (Velvety Abutilon).
• A. pictum (Gillies ex Hook.) Walp. (Redvein Abutilon, Red Vein Indian Mallow; syn. A. striatum)
• A. purpurascens (Link) K. Schum.
• A. reflexum (Juss. ex Cav.) Sweet
• A. ramiflorum A. St.-Hil.
• A. reventum S. Watson (Yellowflower Indian Mallow)
• A. sachetianum Fosberg
• A. sandwicense (O. Deg.) Christoph. (Greenflower Indian Mallow)
• A. sellowianum (Klotzsch) Regel
• A. theophrasti Medik. (Velvetleaf, Indian Mallow, Butterweed)
• A. thurberi A. Gray (Thurber's Indian Mallow)
• A. thyrsodendron Griseb.
• A. trisulcatum (Jacq.) Britton & Millsp.
• A. venosum Lem.
• A. virginianum Krapov. (Virgin Islands Abutilon)
• A. vitifolium
• A. wrightii A. Gray

Hybrids

• Abutilon x hybridum ("Chinese Lantern"; unknown parentage).
• Abutilon x milleri (A. megapotamicum x A. pictum).
• Abutilon x suntense (A. ochsenii x A. vitifolium).

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.

Pests and diseases

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.

Distribution and habitat

Abutilons can be found wild in the tropical and subtropical regions of all continents, though most are native to South America.

Gallery

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  A. incanum (Hoary Abutilon)

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  Flower of A. megapotamicum

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  A. menziesii (Kooloaula)

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  A. menziesii flowers

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  A. pictum

References

• Britton, Nathaniel Lord; Charles Frederick Millspaugh (1920). "Malvaceae". The Bahama Flora. pp. 264–.