Kansas Wildflowers and Grasses

VELVETLEAF

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Abutilon theophrasti Medic.

Konza Prairie, Riley County, Kansas

Annual

Height: 1-6 feet

Family: Malvaceae - Mallow Family

Flowering Period: July, August, September,October

Also Called:

Indian mallow.

Stems:

Erect, sparingly branched above, stout, velvety.

Leaves:

Alternate, simple, long-stalked, nearly circular to ovate, 1.5-7 inches long, 2-8 inches wide, covered with velvety, star-shaped hairs; bases heart-shaped; margins shallow to sharply toothed, tips tapering to points; leaves often drooping in hot weather.

Inflorescences:

Solitary flowers, mostly in upper leaf axils.

Flowers:

To 1 inch wide, on stalks 1/2 to 2 inches long; calyces 5-parted, lobes ovate, velvety; petals 5, yellowish orange; stamens numerous, filaments united.

Fruits:

Schizocarp, capsule-like, fluted, 10-15-segmented; seeds 2 or more per segment, heart-shaped, flat, black.

Habitat:

Waste areas, roadsides, pastures, cultivated fields, and gardens.

Distribution:

Principally east half of Kansas.

Origin:

This native of southern Asia was introduced into North America around the beginning of the 19th Century.

Uses:

In China, fiber from this plant was used to make cords, thread, and nets. Quail eat the seeds.

Comments:

Velvetleaf is a common weed whose seeds can remain viable in the soil for more than 50 years.