''Abutilon theophrasti'' (velvetleaf, velvet plant, velvetweed, Chinese jute, China jute, crown weed, buttonweed, lantern mallow, butterprint, pie-marker, or Indian mallow) is an
annual plant
An annual plant is a plant that completes its life cycle, from germination to the production of seeds, within one growing season, and then dies. The length of growing seasons and period in which they take place vary according to geographical ...
in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar ...
specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''theophrasti'' commemorates the ancient Greek botanist-philosopher
Theophrastus
Theophrastus (; grc-gre, Θεόφραστος ; c. 371c. 287 BC), a Greek philosopher and the successor to Aristotle in the Peripatetic school. He was a native of Eresos in Lesbos.Gavin Hardy and Laurence Totelin, ''Ancient Botany'', Routledge ...
. ''Abutilon theophrasti'' is the
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
of the
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
''
Abutilon
''Abutilon'' is a large genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics
It has flowers that are yellow; they grow up to an inch in diameter with five petals attached at the base. The flowers grow on stalks, and can either be found in clusters or singled along where the stalk meets the leaf stem.
Pod-like capsules produced by the plant consists of 12-15 wood segments that form cup-like rings. Through the maturation of the seeds, the segments remain joined, and when the seed are ready to be released, the outside of the capsule contains vertical slits which release mature seeds.
Biology
Reproduction
During reproduction, the plant generates number of seeds ranging between 700 and 44,200 units per one plant. The seeds take 17–22 days to mature once pollinated. Seeds can last for ~50 years when stored in a dry location or in the soil. In order to disperse the seeds for reproduction, each carpel in the plant is opened with a vertical slit along the outer edge. For successful germination of the seeds, the temperature must range between 24-30 °C. Due to the dry climate and high evaporation growth, Velvetleaf is unable to grow in the meadows of North America. Velvet plants are able to grow in various types of soil ranged from gray-brown podzols and sandy to clay loams. The ideal soil pH for velvetleaf ranged between 6.1 and 7.8, depending on location.
Cultivation and medicinal uses
Velvetleaf has been grown in
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
since around 2000 BCE for its strong,
jute
Jute is a long, soft, shiny bast fiber that can be spun into coarse, strong threads. It is produced from flowering plants in the genus ''Corchorus'', which is in the mallow family Malvaceae. The primary source of the fiber is ''Corchorus olit ...
-like
bast fibre
Bast fibre (also called phloem fibre or skin fibre) is plant fibre collected from the phloem (the "inner bark", sometimes called "skin") or bast surrounding the stem of certain dicotyledonous plants. It supports the conductive cells of the phl ...
. The leaves are edible when stir-fried or in an omelette. The plant is known as ''maabulha'' in the
Maldives
Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
and its leaves were part of the traditional
Maldivian cuisine
Maldivian cuisine, also called Dhivehi cuisine, is the cuisine of the Nation of Maldives and of Minicoy, India. The traditional cuisine of Maldivians is based on three main items and their derivatives: coconuts, fish and starches.
Coconuts
T ...
, usually finely chopped and mixed with
Maldive fish
Maldives fish ( dv, ވަޅޯމަސް, translit=valhoamas) is cured tuna fish traditionally produced in Maldives. It is a staple of the Maldivian cuisine, Sri Lankan cuisine, as well as the cuisine of the Southern Indian states and territories of L ...
and grated
coconut
The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family ( Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, the seed, or the ...
in a dish known as ''
mas huni
Mas huni ( dv, މަސްހުނި) is a typical Maldivian breakfast, comprises tuna, onion, coconut, and chili. All ingredients are finely chopped and mixed with the grated meat of the coconut. This dish is usually eaten with freshly baked roshi f ...
''.
Xavier Romero-Frias
Xavier or Xabier may refer to:
Place
* Xavier, Spain
People
* Xavier (surname)
* Xavier (given name)
* Francis Xavier (1506–1552), Catholic saint
** St. Francis Xavier (disambiguation)
* St. Xavier (disambiguation)
* Xavier (footballer, ...
, ''The Maldive Islanders, A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean Kingdom'', Barcelona 1999, The seeds are eaten in China and
Kashmir
Kashmir () is the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal Range. Today, the term encompas ...
. To make ropes, coarse cloth, nets, paper and caulk for boats, Velvetleaf is still being cultivated to this day in China. Velvetleaf can be used as a treatment for dysentery and opacity of the cornea and can treat eye injuries. The leaves of the velvet leaf contain 0.01% of rutin, and used for a soothing, lubricant treatment that softens irritated tissues. When the leaves are softened, they can be used a remedy for ulcers. The bark of Velvetleaf can reduce the flow of bodily fluids such as blood, secretions, mucous. It can promote the flow of urine.
Invasive species
In midwestern and northeastern regions of the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, eastern
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and the
Eastern Mediterranean
Eastern Mediterranean is a loose definition of the eastern approximate half, or third, of the Mediterranean Sea, often defined as the countries around the Levantine Sea.
It typically embraces all of that sea's coastal zones, referring to communi ...
, ''A. theophrasti'' is considered a damaging weed to agricultural crops, especially
corn
Maize ( ; ''Zea mays'' subsp. ''mays'', from es, maíz after tnq, mahiz), also known as corn (North American and Australian English), is a cereal grain first domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 10,000 years ago. Th ...
and
soybean
The soybean, soy bean, or soya bean (''Glycine max'') is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean, which has numerous uses.
Traditional unfermented food uses of soybeans include soy milk, from which tofu an ...
s.
Since being introduced to
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
in the 18th century, velvetleaf has become an
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
in agricultural regions of the eastern and midwestern United States. It is one of the most detrimental weeds to corn causing decreases of up to 34% of crop yield if not controlled and costing hundreds of millions of dollars per year in control and damage. Velvetleaf is an extremely competitive plant, so much so that it can steal nutrients and water from crops. Velvetleaf is controllable by herbicides even though it is known to be a major weed to different crops due to its harmful effects. Because of the season it germinates in, the plant matures right before the fall harvest in farms. Velvetleaf is a tall plant that can cause the crops around it to not thrive due to severely reducing light penetration to those surrounding crop plants. Not only does it affect crop plants by starving them of light, but it also houses different diseases and pests of crops like corn, cotton, soybeans, and others. When destroyed, the plant releases a chemical odor that is also known to be harmful to surrounding crops by inhibiting germination of crop seeds when that chemical is released into the soil. Examples of pests that Velvetleaf harbors are maize pest, tobacco pest, and soybean diseases. In order to eradicate Velvetleaf, individuals should be dug up or pulled out manually and not tilled or plowed to avoid seed germination. For a more convenient mediation method, invasive individuals can be mowed while the plant is still small.
This species is typically found in areas where the soil had been disturbed. This causes the dormant seeds in the soil to be brought closer to the soil's surface, allowing for growth when the soil is at an optimally warm temperature.
Threats to ''A. theophrasti''
Different predators and pathogens affect velvetleaf at different life stages of the plant. Examples of threats include but are not limited to: