Abutilon Mill.
Genus with about 216 accepted species. Annual and perennial herbaceous plants, or shrubs, rarely small trees. In North Africa it is represented by 4 taxa, distributed mainly through the Sahara. The largest species is A. longicuspe, a shrub or small tree up to 5 m tall. The other species (A. pannosum, A. fruticosum and A. bidentatum) are herbaceous perennials with slightly lignified stems at the base that can reach up to 1(2) m in height.
Several species of the genus of tropical origin, generally Asian, are cultivated on the 5 continents and, in several countries, they are already beginning to behave as invasive, also in North Africa. Two species should be highlighted, both perennial plants, with older stems somewhat lignified at the base, up to 1.5(3) m tall, cordate leaves, solitary flowers, yellow petals and fruits with 15-22 mericarps. A. indicum (L.) Sweet [A. albidum (Willd.) Sweet] with leaves covered with simple, short, non-glandular hairs, and A. theophrasti Medik. (A. avicennae Gaertn., A. tiliifolium Sweet) with leaves covered with stellate hairs, glandular on the nerves and petioles.
Beentje, H.J. 1994. Kenya trees, shrubs and lianas. National Museums of Kenya. Nairobi. Kenya.
Key to species
1 Mericarps rounded at the apex 2
1 Mericarps acute to acuminate 3
2 Flowers purple, terminal and axillary, panicles with almost no leaves; mericarps with 1 seed Abutilon longicuspe
2 Flowers yellow or yellow and purple, solitary or in pairs; mericarps with 2-3 seeds Abutilon pannosum
3 Flowers normally in small axillary panicles, sometimes solitary or in pairs; mericarps 14-16 Abutilon bidentatum
3 Flowers solitary or in pairs at the leaf axils 4
4 Mericarps 8-11 Abutilon fruticosum
4 Mericarps 15-22 5
5 Leaves with simple, short and non-glandular hairs A. indicum
5 Leaves with stellate hairs, glandular on the nerves and petioles A. theophrasti
Updated by: A.F. Carrillo.