Velvetleaf

Description

Abutilon theophrasti (velvetleaf, velvet plant, velvetweed, Chinese jute, China jute, crown weed, buttonweed, lantern mallow, butterprint, pie-marker, or Indian mallow) is an annual plant in the family Malvaceae, native to southern Asia. Its specific epithet theophrasti commemorates the ancient Greek botanist-philosopher Theophrastus. Abutilon theophrasti is the type species of the genus Abutilon. Velvetleaf grows 3–8 feet tall on branched stout stems. Their stems are covered in downy hairs. It annually grows in the warmer seasons. It germinates in the spring, and flowers in the summer. This typically takes place between the months of July to September in certain locations. The leaves are large and heart-shaped with point tips at their ends. They grow at different points along the length of the stem or are alternated along the stem, the leaves are attached to thick, long stems, and when crushed, they release an odor. It has flowers that are yellow; they grow up to an inch in diameter with five petals attached at the base. The flowers grow on stalks, and can either be found in clusters or singled along where the stalk meets the leaf stem. Pod-like capsules produced by the plant consists of 12-15 wood segments that form cup-like rings. Through the maturation of the seeds, the segments remain joined, and when the seed are ready to be released, the outside of the capsule contains vertical slits which release mature seeds. In midwestern and northeastern regions of the United States, eastern Canada and the Eastern Mediterranean, A. theophrasti is considered a damaging weed to agricultural crops, especially corn and soybeans. Since being introduced to North America in the 18th century, velvetleaf has become an invasive species in agricultural regions of the eastern and midwestern United States. It is one of the most detrimental weeds to corn causing decreases of up to 34% of crop yield if not controlled and costing hundreds of millions of dollars per year in control and damage. Velvetleaf is an extremely competitive plant, so much so that it can steal nutrients and water from crops. Velvetleaf is controllable by herbicides even though it is known to be a major weed to different crops due to its harmful effects. Because of the season it germinates in, the plant matures right before the fall harvest in farms.