Velvetleaf | Description, Use, & Weed | Britannica (original) (raw)

Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)

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Also known as: Abutilon avicennae, Abutilon theophrasti, China jute, Indian mallow

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Also called:

Indian mallow or China jute

velvetleaf, (Abutilon theophrasti), annual hairy plant of the mallow family (Malvaceae) native to southern Asia. The plant is cultivated in northern China for its fibre and is widely naturalized in warmer regions of North America, where it is often a serious agricultural weed. It grows 0.6–2.4 metres (2–8 feet) tall and has heart-shaped downy leaves. It bears five-petaled yellow flowers and beaked seedpods.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.