Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_1144.JPG-09-16-2018
Flower name (scientific): Abutilon theophrasti Medikus PY: 1787. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) ah-BEW-tih-lon theh-OH-frahs-tee
Flower name (common): Velvet Leaf
Family name (common): Mallow
Family name (scientific): Malvaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Derived from the Arabic word for a plant of the mallow family.
    Specific epithet: For a species identified in the work of Theophrastus.
Common name origin: The leaves are covered in short hairs, which creats a velvety feel.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.5 to 1.0 inches (1.3 to 2.5 cm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: yellow
     Other: flower arrangement, Raceme
Plant description:
     Size: 12 to 84 inches (30 to 213 cm)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is simple
     Size:
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, broadly ovate to suborbiculate (FNA), cordate or orbicular-cordate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Introduced.
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): July to October
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Annual
Habitat: Disturbed sites, roadsides, waste areas, sun or part shade, dry.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): No close lookalikes.
Ethnobotany: Moerman, in his monumental ethnobotanical works (Moerman, 1998; Moerman, 2009) provides no references to the use of this plant by Native Americans. This lack of utilization may reflect the relatively late introduction of the plant to the US, and the fact that Native Americans already had other plant resources to prepare cordage, e. g. Apocynum cannabinum.
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Dunn, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jackson, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Outagamie, Pepin, Pierce, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sawyer, Sheboygan, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Winnebago) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY) Click here for distribution map
In Canada: (AB, BC, MB, NB, NS, ON, PE, QC, SK) Click here for distribution map
References: Paul A. Fryxell and Steven R. Hill, In: Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. New York and Oxford. Vol. 6. http://floranorthamerica.org/Abutilon_theophrasti. Accessed [09-30-2021].
Synonym(s):
Basionym: Sida abutilon Linnaeus Sp. Pl. 2: 685. 1753.
Homotypic Synonym(s): Abutilon avicennae Gaertn.
Heterotypic Synonym(s): Sida abutilon L.
Autonym: na
Wetland Status (NC): FACU
Wetland Status (MW): FACU