velvetleaf plant

Velvetleaf – Abutilon theophrasti

Abutilon theophrasti Medicus

Malvaceae (Mallow family)

MI Status

Non-native

Life cycle

Erect summer annual.

Leaves

Seedlings have one heart-shaped cotyledon and one nearly round cotyledon with short hairs on both surfaces. Leaves are alternate, broadly heart-shaped, 3 to 8 inches long and nearly as wide with narrow, pointed tips and long, slender petioles. Leaves have round-toothed margins and softly hairy surfaces that feel velvety.

Stems

Erect, up to 7-foot-tall stems with little branching are covered with short, velvety hairs and may persist through the winter.

Flowers and fruit

Yellow to yellow-orange five-petaled flowers form solitarily on short stalks in the upper leaf axils. Fruit are approximately 1-inchwide, bowl-shaped, green capsules that turn dark brown at maturity. Each capsule has nine to 15 compartments, each containing three to nine grayish brown, somewhat flattened and notched seeds.

Reproduction

Seeds.

Velvetleaf-fruit-flower-300x225
Velvetleaf fruit & flower
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Velvetleaf plant
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Velvetleaf seedling

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