Abutilon Mill. (1768), in the family Malvaceae, contains 100 species distributed throughout the tropics and into temperate South America.
Description Shrubs to 10m, with fibrous bark. The leaves are alternate, evergreen, more or less triangular, often lobed. The flowers have no bracts, and are produced singly or in small clusters. Sepals 5, often coloured, almost forming a tube; petals 5, equal, often forming a hanging bell. Stamens numerous, the filaments fused into a short tube. Carpels many, with long, slender styles. Pollination is by insects or birds. The fruits have a whorl of 2- to 9-seeded capsules. Key Recognition Features The hanging, bell-shaped flowers are typical of many species; flat, bluish or white flowers are typical of the temperate South American species, such as A. vitifolium Presl.. Evolution and Relationships Abutilon is closely related to Sphaeralcea A. St-Hil. and Sida L., in which the fruit is also a ring of capsules. The flat-flowered species are sometimes separated in the genus Corynabutilon (Schumann) Kearney. Ecology and Geography In forests and rocky places. Most species are found in South America, from southern Chile northwards; a few in California and tropical Asia, and around 30 in Australia. Comment Many species are grown as ornamentals, especially in frost-free climates. Those with hanging flowers are good for attracting hummingbirds, especially A. megapotamicum (Spreng.) A. St.-Hil. & Naudin, with its red calyx and yellow petals. The spotted leaves of A. megapotamicum ‘Variegatum’ are caused by a virus that commonly infects other species. |
