''Abutilon pictum'', syn. ''Abutilon striatum'' (disputed), is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

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 ...

. It is

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to southern Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. The plant has become

naturalised Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the i ...

in Central America, and is used in horticulture. Common names include redvein abutilon, red vein Indian mallow, redvein flowering maple, Chinese-lantern and red vein Chinese lanterns.

Description

''Abutilon pictum'' is a shrub growing to tall by wide.PFAF
. accessed 5.15.2013 The leaves are 5–15 cm long, three- to five- (rarely seven-) lobed. The yellow to orange-red bell shaped flowers have prominent dark red veining, with five petals 2–4 cm long. It blooms from April to September, and longer in warmer subtropical areas. The flowers attract pollinators, such as native bees and hummingbirds. The Latin specific epithet ''pictum'' means “painted”.

Uses

Culinary

The flowers are edible, raw or cooked, with the sweet flavor increasing the longer the bloom is open.

Cultivation

''Abutilon pictum'' is cultivated as a popular

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

, for use in gardens in subtropical and warm temperate climates. It is also planted in containers or pots, on patios and balconies outdoors, or as a winter

house plant A houseplant, sometimes known as a pot plant, potted plant, or an indoor plant, is an ornamental plant that is grown indoors. As such, they are found in places like residences and offices, mainly for decorative purposes. Common houseplants are us ...

. The plant can grow in light shade or full sun, and is frost tender, not tolerating temperatures below . It requires moist soil, preferring fertile sandy, loamy, or well-drained clay soils.

Cultivars

Note: both ''Abutilon pictum'' and ''Abutilon striatum'' are susceptible to '' Abutilon mosaic virus'' - while ''A. pictum'' simply gets crinkly leaves, ''A. striatum'' develops a mottled or variegated leaf that is prized, and often sold as a different variety, notably "Gold dust" in Hawaii. * ‘Mardi Gras’ — Mardi Gras abutilon (syn: ''Abutilon pictum'' ‘Aureomaculatum’); very vigorous form to 10 ft. by 10 ft. but can be kept smaller/espaliered, has large green leaves splashed boldly with gold, narrow light orange flowers. * ‘Thompsonii’ — variegated Thompson's abutilon (syn: ''Abutilon striatum'' ‘Thompsonii’); speckled yellow and green variegated leaves, orange flowers: this cultivar has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...

’s Award of Garden Merit.

References

* LORENZI, H.; SOUZA, M.S. (2001) Plantas Ornamentais no Brasil: arbustivas, herbáceas e trepadeiras.''
Plantarum

External links

PFAF—Plants For A Future, Plant Database: ''Abutilon pictum''
{{Taxonbar, from1=Q2701584, from2=Q17579576 pictum Flora of Argentina Flora of Brazil Flora of Paraguay Flora of Uruguay Bird food plants Garden plants of South America