Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Core Eudicots: Rosids: Malvids: Malvales
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Abutilon theophrasti
FAMILY
Malvaceae
Go to FSUS key
Dig deeper at SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria.
Check out EDDMapS.org to see where this has been reported.
Read more about Velvetleaf at Vascular Plants of North Carolina.
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Abutilon theophrasti
FAMILY
Malvaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Abutilon theophrasti
SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Abutilon theophrasti
SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT) VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 122-06-001:
Abutilon theophrastii FAMILY Malvaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Abutilon abutilon
COMMON NAME:
Velvetleaf, Indian Mallow, Butterprint
To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.
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USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913 pnd_abab3_001_lvd
)
USDA / Selected Weeds of the US. 1970 swus_page_261
)
Roxanna Martin rlm72608_063
July Spartanburg County SC
A stout plant up to 5' tall, soft-hairy throughout, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Roxanna Martin rlm81509_030
August Spartanburg County SC
)
Roxanna Martin rlm82309_019
August Spartanburg County SC
)
Roxanna Martin rlm91109_075
September Spartanburg County SC
)
Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org bug_1459828
Month Unknown
Leaves heart-shaped with a tapering point, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
)
Ken Chamberlain, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org bug_1559376
Month Unknown
)
Lynn Sosnoskie, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org bug_5138072
Month Unknown
)
Jan Samanek, State Phytosanitary Administration, Bugwood.org bug_5256068
Month Unknown
Petiole 3-12 cm, stellate hairy, per Flora of China.
)
Jan Samanek, State Phytosanitary Administration, Bugwood.org bug_5256077
Month Unknown
)
Phil Westra, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org bug_5362836
Month Unknown
)
Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org bug_5439888
Month Unknown
Fruit a ring of united carpels, each extended into an awn and pubescent, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).
)
Rebekah D. Wallace, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org bug_5439889
Month Unknown
Flowers less than 1" wide with bright yellow petals, growing in leaf axils, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).
WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Abutilon theophrasti
FAMILY
Malvaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Abutilon theophrasti
FAMILY
Malvaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Abutilon theophrasti
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Flora of North America
Abutilon theophrasti
SYNONYMOUS WITH (ORTHOGRAPHIC VARIANT)
VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 122-06-001:
Abutilon theophrastii
FAMILY
Malvaceae
SYNONYMOUS WITH
Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Abutilon abutilon
9
Forb
Annual
Habitat: Crop fields, roadsides, disturbed areas, per Weakley's Flora
Non-native: south Asia
Uncommon (rare in Coastal Plain) (rare in GA Mountains)
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.
This plant may be causing problems in natural areas outside its native range, according to authorities such as:
LEAVES:
Simple
Alternate
FLOWER:
Summer/Fall
Orange-yellow
5 sepals united at base
5 petals united at base
Stamens united to form a staminal column surrounding ovary and styles
Superior ovary
FRUIT:
Summer/Fall
Capsule
TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!
- Newcomb's Wildflower Guide (Newcomb, 1977) p204
- Wildflowers of the Atlantic Southeast (Cotterman, Waitt, & Weakley, 2019) p247
- Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005) p068
- Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998) p096
If a search such as "Carex leptalea var. leptalea" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "Carex leptalea".
Or, to minimize chances of a misspelling, try just "Carex le".
Less is more: If "pencil flower" doesn't deliver the results you want, try "pencil".