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Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet

Family: Malvaceae
Abutilon leucopetalum

Citation: F. Muell. ex Benth., Fl. Aust. 1:200 (1863).

Synonymy: A. mitchellii Benth., Fl. Aust. 1:201 (1863). , Sida leucopetala, Sida tubulosa

Common name: Desert Chinese-lantern.

Description:
Shrub to 1 m or more high, covered with a dense velvety stellate tomentum mixed with longer simple spreading hairs on the branches and on the lobes and base of the calyx; leaves usually retaining their velvety pubescence above and below, soft and rather thick, crenate, cordate, orbicular, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, occasionally acuminate, 2-8 cm long.

Peduncles to 3 cm long but shorter than the petioles; calyx c. 14-20 mm long, 10-nerved, 5-angled, tubular-campanulate, the acuminate lobes shorter than the tube; corolla yellow or drying white, twice as long as the calyx.

Capsule as long as the calyx tube, 10-15 mm diam., villous at the top, consisting of 7-10 fruitlets, each containing 2 or 3 dark minutely pubescent seeds.

image of FSA2_Abutilon_leu.jpg Abutilon leucopetalum twig, fruit with some fruitlets removed and seed.
Image source: fig 432d in Jessop J.P. & Toelken H.R. (Ed.) 1986. Flora of South Australia (4th edn).

Published illustration: Cunningham et al. (1982) Plants of western New South Wales, p. 484.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: NW, LE, NU, GT, FR, EA, EP.   W.Aust.; N.T.; Qld; N.S.W.

Conservation status: native

Flowering time: all year round.


SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available


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