Abutilon pannosum (G. Forst.) Schltdl.

Abutilon species are herbs, undershrubs or shrubs. Erect or procument, Branches with simple prickly or stellate hairs. Leaves simple or sometimes lobed, alternate, usually base cordate, margins crenate-dentate, apex acute to acuminate, palminerved without nectaries, petiolate, stipules persistent or caducous. Inflorescence usually axillary or terminal, solitary or aggregated lax panicles or corymbose racemes. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, jointed in the upper half, epicalyx absent, calyx 5 lobed, campanulate, base connate, valvate, corolla large, 5, yellow, white, orange, sometimes with dark colored in the centre. Stamens usually shorter than petals, base wide, filaments short, anthers basifixed, usually clustered. Ovary superior, 5-20 locular, ovules 2-9 per carpel, style branched 5-40, filiform to clavate, stigma capitate. Fruit schizocarp, ovoid-subglobular, campanulate, apex biaristate or acuminate, usually black when mature, with 5-40 mericarps, dehiscent, with a slender truncate columella scar when fallen. Seed many, reniform or subreniform, smooth, glabrous or shortly pubescent.

Abutilon species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: October—March.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Erect undershrubs or shrubs, about 1-3 m tall. Stems and branches velvety tomentose with simple short stellate hairs. Leaves simple, alternate, orbicular, about 2-14 x 1.8-13.5 cm across, base cordate, margins irregularly dentate, apex acute to shallow acuminate, densely pubescent with simple stellate hairs both above and beneath, veins about 7-9, petiole, tomentose with simple stellate hairs, about 1-6 cm long, stipules linear, pubescent, caducous, about 3-6 mm long. Inflorescence usually axillary or terminal, solitary or racemes, by the reduction of the uppermost leaves. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, jointed in the upper half, stellate pubescent, about 1-4 cm long, epicalyx absent, calyx 5 lobed, campanulate or cup shaped, base connate, valvate, divided from middle, lobes ovate, apex acute, densely pubescent with simple and stellate hairs outside, simple long hairs inside, about 8-15 x 5-8 mm across, corolla large, 5, yellow, petals obovate, glabrous, about 1-2 x 0.8-1.5 cm across. Stamens usually shorter than petals, base wide, stellate hairy, about 5-8 mm long, anthers basifixed, usually clustered. Ovary superior, 5-20 locular, ovules 2-9 per carpel, style branched 5-40, filiform to clavate, stigma capitate. Fruit schizocarp, subglobular, about 1 cm across, depressed at apex, usually black when mature, with 20-25 mericarps, reniform, margins dense with stellate hairs, apex bidentate, dehiscent. Seed 2-3, reniform, about 1.5 mm across, smooth, glabrous or shortly pubescent.

Abutilon species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Notes: open places of deciduous forests

Dry and abandoned places, altitude up to 300 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Used in folk medicine and stems yield low quality fiber.