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Abutilon pictum

Common name:	Abutilon	Family:	Malvaceae
Author:	(Gillies. ex Hook.&Arn.)Walp.	Botanical references:	200
Synonyms:	Abutilon striatum (G.Dickson. Ex Lindl.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	S. America - Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.
Habitat:	Cultivated as an ornamental plant, it is not known in a truly wild situation.
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Painted Indian Mallow [P], Redvein Indian Mallow [P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	pictum = painted;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Malvales. Mallow family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 5m by 2m . It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs). We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Edible Uses

Flowers - raw or cooked. A delicious sweet flavour[K]. The flowers produce nectar all the time they are open so, assuming the plant is grown indoors and is not visited by pollinating insects, the sweetness increases the longer the flower is open[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivation details

Requires a sunny position or part day shade in a fertile well-drained soil[200]. Dislikes drought[200].
This species is only hardy in the very mildest areas of Britain, being intolerant of temperatures that fall much below 0°c[260]. Plants are often deciduous in cold winters[219]. A deep mulch in winter and tying in growth to the wall will maximise protection in winter[200]. If the plant is cut back by cold weather, it can resprout from the base in the spring and can flower on the current year's growth[202].
A very ornamental plant, there are several named varieties[200]. Several of the cultivars have golden-variegated leaves caused by a virus infection, this infection can spread to other plants[260].
Tip-prune young plants to promote a bushy habit[200]. Older plants tend to get rather leggy, but can be cut back almost to the base in order to promote new growth. This is best done in late winter as the plant starts to come into growth[260].
Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse[200]. Germination should take place within a few weeks. Once the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots. Grow them on for at least the first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of young shoots, June in a frame[200]. Grow on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant out in spring after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[200]. Grow on in the greenhouse for their first winter and plant out in spring after the last expected frosts.

Cultivars

'Thompsonii': A cultivar with golden-spotted variegated leaves, the flowers are deliciously sweet. The variegation is caused by virus infection and can spread to other plants[260].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for Abutilon striatum (a possible synonym).

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.

References for the family Malvaceae.

[CHINA] Draft Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[219] Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins 1983 ISBN 0-00-219220-0
A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.

[260] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Conservatory and Indoor Plants Volumes 1 & 2 Pan Books, London. 1998 ISBN 0-330-37376-5
Excellent photos of over 1,100 species and cultivars with habits and cultivation details plus a few plant uses. Many species are too tender for outdoors in Britain though there are many that can be grown outside.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Abutilon+pictum
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