VELVETLEAF
File Size: 53 KB
 
Abutilon theophrasti  Medic.
Konza Prairie, Riley County, Kansas
Annual
Height: 1-6 feet
Family: Malvaceae - Mallow Family
Flowering Period:   July, August, September,October
Also Called: Indian mallow.
Stems: Erect, sparingly branched above, stout, velvety.
Leaves: Alternate, simple, long-stalked, nearly circular to ovate, 1.5-7 inches long, 2-8 inches wide, covered with velvety, star-shaped hairs; bases heart-shaped; margins shallow to sharply toothed, tips tapering to points; leaves often drooping in hot weather.
Inflorescences: Solitary flowers, mostly in upper leaf axils.
Flowers: To 1 inch wide, on stalks 1/2 to 2 inches long; calyces 5-parted, lobes ovate, velvety; petals 5, yellowish orange; stamens numerous, filaments united.
Fruits: Schizocarp, capsule-like, fluted, 10-15-segmented; seeds 2 or more per segment, heart-shaped, flat, black.
Habitat: Waste areas, roadsides, pastures, cultivated fields, and gardens.
Distribution: Principally east half of Kansas.
Origin: This native of southern Asia was introduced into North America around the beginning of the 19th Century.
Uses: In China, fiber from this plant was used to make cords, thread, and nets. Quail eat the seeds.
Comments: Velvetleaf is a common weed whose seeds can remain viable in the soil for more than 50 years.

Velvetleaf leaves
149 KB
Konza Prairie, Riley County, Kansas
Velvetleaf flower
49 KB
Konza Prairie, Riley County, Kansas
Velvet-leaf schizocarp
72 KB
Konza Prairie, Riley County, Kansas
Velvetleaf schizocarp
51 KB
Riley County, Kansas
Velvetleaf
123 KB
Riley County, Kansas