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Palmer's Indian mallow
Scientific Name: Abutilon palmeri
Family: Malvaceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Shrub, Subshrub
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Palmer's Abutilon (Abutilon palmeri)
Abutilon palmeri, a member of the Malvaceae (mallow) family, is commonly known as Palmer's Abutilon, Superstition Mallow, and Palmer's Indian Mallow.
Considerations for Pets
- This shrub has slender branches and soft, velvety leaves.
- The mature fruit releases seeds from schizocarps (segments of the fruit), which might be of interest to pets.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Abutilon palmeri A. Gray
- Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family)
- Common Names: Palmer's Abutilon, Superstition Mallow, Palmer's Indian Mallow, Indian Mallow
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to the southwestern United States (e.g., Arizona, Southern California) and Sonora, Mexico.
- Thrives in hot, dry desert environments.
Morphology and Growth Habits
- Medium-sized perennial shrub or subshrub.
- Grows in a rounded shape with slender branches.
- Leaves are alternate, nearly round to cordate (heart-shaped), coarsely serrate (toothed edge), and densely woolly pubescent (covered in soft hairs)/velvety. Typically grey-green in color.
- Produces solitary, cup-shaped orange flowers in spring and summer.
- Flowers have anthers at the top of a fused filament tube with headlike stigmas.
- Mature fruit has eleven schizocarps and is covered in soft pubescence.
Quirky Facts
- One source mentions "eleven schizocarps" on the fruit which is somewhat precise.
- Superstition Mallow is one of the common names.
Further Resources
- Dave's Garden
- Encyclopedia of Life
- Fullerton Arboretum
- Newport Beach Environmental Nature Center