Abutilon palmeri, known as Palmer's abutilon, superstition mallow, and Palmer's Indian mallow is a species of flowering plant native the Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.[2][3][4]
| Abutilon palmeri | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Abutilon |
| Species: | A. palmeri
|
| Binomial name | |
| Abutilon palmeri Gray
| |
The plant is found in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, and in Southern California in the Sonoran Colorado Desert and adjacent eastern foothill ecotones of the Peninsular Ranges.
Description
editAbutilon palmeri is a semi-evergreen shrub growing 3–8 feet (0.91–2.44 m) high by 2–5 feet (0.61–1.52 m) wide.[2] The branch and stem coloration is green to reddish brown and pubescent.[5]
The alternate leaves are velvety and heart-shaped (nearly round to cordate). The leaves are serrate and densely woolly, giving a bluish, grey-green cast to the foliage.
The cup-shaped flowers are yellow to orange with 5 petals and approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) in size. It blooms for most of the year.[6]
The plant produces small, capsular fruits approximately 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) in diameter each. The fruit is multi-parted and covered with silky pubescence similar to the foliage.
Cultivation
editAbutilon palmeri is cultivated as an ornamental plant by specialty nurseries for planting in native plant, xeriscape, wildlife gardens, and in natural landscaping projects in warm climates.[7]
References
edit- ^ NatureServe (6 December 2024). "Abutilon palmeri | NatureServe Explorer". NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Palmer's Indian Mallow, Superstition Mallow (Abutilon palmeri)". Archived from the original on 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2007-11-23.
- ^ ITIS Standard Report Page: Abutilon palmeri
- ^ McNair, D.M.; J. Fox; R. Lindley; S.D. Carnahan; M.E. Taylor; E. Makings (2018). "Identifying Abutilon parishii (Malvaceae) and similar species in Arizona and Sonora" (PDF). Phytoneuron.
- ^ Abutilon palmeri Fact SheetArchived May 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Abutilon palmeri Palmer's Indian Mallow: Plant Phenology". iNaturalist.org. Retrieved 2018-09-04.
- ^ Las Pilitas Horticultural Database: Abutilon palmeri (Indian Mallow)
