Abutilon fruticosum is a widespread species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common names Texas Indian mallow, pelotazo, and sweet Indian mallow.
Description The perennial herb grows up to tall, but usually not exceeding . The alternately arranged leaves are up to long. The blades are thick and coated in hairs, appearing gray. The yellow-orange flowers are up to about wide. Flowering occurs in June through October in Texas.Abutilon fruticosum. United States Department of Agriculture NRCS Plant Guide.
Distribution and habitat The plant is native to Africa, southern and southwestern Asia (from Saudi Arabia to India), northern Mexico, and the south-central United States.Abutilon fruticosum. NatureServe.Flora of PakistanBiota of North America Program 2014 county distribution mapFryxell, P. A. 1988. Malvaceae of Mexico. Systematic Botany Monographs 25: 1–522.African Flowering Plants Database - Base de Donnees des Plantes a Fleurs D'Afrique. 2008 It grows in chaparral and woodlands and on prairies. It grows on cliffs, slopes, and limestone outcrops.
Ecology It is eaten by wild and domesticated ungulates. The seeds provide food for birds such as the bobwhite quail. The flowers attract birds and butterflies. It is host to larvae of a number of butterfly species.
Uses The species is drought-tolerant and can be used in xeriscaping.
References
External links
United States Department of Agriculture Plants Profile Photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Ethiopia in 1805 Photo of herbarium specimen at Missouri Botanical Garden, collected in Coahuila in 2000