E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Flora of British Columbia

Abutilon theophrasti Medik.
velvet-leaf
Malvaceae (Mallow family)

Introduction to Vascular Plants

Distribution of Abutilon theophrasti
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Introduction

Velvet-leaf in an introduced species in North America that originates in China and was introduced to the New World before 1750 as a potential fiber crop. It is now found across the continental US and in all southern Canadian provinces except Labrador (USDA 2011). Previously known only from the Fraser Valley in BC, it now found in several locations beyond that region.

Species Information

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Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

General:
Annual from a taproot; stems erect, several, branched, soft-hairy with star-shaped hairs, 1-2 m tall.

Leaves:
Alternate, heart-shaped, 10-20 cm wide, tapering to concave points, densely hairy to woolly, the hairs star-shaped; stalks 10-20 cm long.

Flowers:
Inflorescence of solitary, axillary flowers on stalks 2-3 cm long; petals 5, yellow, 6-8 mm long; calyces 5-lobed, the lobes pointed.

Fruits:
Carpels, usually 10-15, densely hairy with horizontally spreading beaks, the beaks 3-5 mm long; seeds 2-9.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Key to the Species and Taxonomic Notes

KEY TO MALVACEAE

1. Stigmas extending full length on the inner surfaces of the style branches.

2. Calyces with basal bractlets; carpels beakless ....................Malva
2. Calyces without basal bractlets; carpels beaked ............................Sidalcea

1. Stigmas terminal and head-like.

3. Leaves heart-shaped and toothed; petals yellow...............Abutilon
3. Leaves mapleleaf-like or kidney-shaped and lobed; petals not yellow, colors various.

4. Petals usually more than 2 cm long; leaves 4-15 cm long; carpels glabrous on the sides, opening the full length at maturity.........................Iliamna
4. Petals 1-2 cm long; leaves 2-6 cm long; carpels strongly net-veined on the basal half of the sides, remaining closed at the bases at maturity ..................Sphaeralcea

Source: Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Habitat / Range

Mesic fields and waste places in the lowland zone; rare in SW BC, known only from the lower Fraser Valley; introduced from Asia.

Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia

Climate

The climate type for this species, as reported in the: "British Columbia plant species codes and selected attributes. Version 6 Database" (Meidinger et al. 2008), is not evaluated, unknown or variable.

Status Information

Origin Status	Provincial Status	BC List (Red Blue List)	COSEWIC
Exotic	SNA	Exotic	Not Listed

BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer, the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

Synonyms and Alternate Names

Abutilon abutilon (L.) Rusby
Abutilon avicennae Gaertn.

Taxonomic and Nomenclatural Links

Genetic information (NCBI Taxonomy Database)
International Plant Names Index
Taxonomic Information from the World Flora Online
Integrated Taxonomic Information System

Additional Range and Status Information Links

Burke Museum of Natural History (Washington State records)
CalFlora
Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria records
Jepson Interchange
NatureServe Explorer
USDA

Additional Photo Sources

Images From CalPhoto
UT Austin's Native Plant Database
Google Image Search
Flickr Image Search

General References

Google Scholar Search
Family References
General Botanical References for BC

Recommended citation: Author, Date. Page title. In Klinkenberg, Brian. (Editor) 2020. E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia [eflora.bc.ca]. Lab for Advanced Spatial Analysis, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. [Accessed: 2024-05-10 12:05:14 AM ]

Disclaimer: The information contained in the E-Flora atlas pages is derived from expert sources as cited in each section. This information is scientifically based. E-Flora also acts as a portal to other sites via deep links. As always, users should refer to the original sources for complete information. E-Flora BC is not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of the original information.