Sonoran Indian Mallow (Abutilon mollicomun)

December 07, 2018 00:05:28
Sonoran Indian Mallow (Abutilon mollicomun)
Growing Native with Petey Mesquitey
Sonoran Indian Mallow (Abutilon mollicomun)

Dec 07 2018 | 00:05:28

/

Show Notes

 

Well, first things first, Abutilon sonorae is now Abutilon mollicomun.  I should have checked my favorite web site SEINet so as to be current in the taxonomy. Mollicomun translates to “with soft hairs”. The dichotomous key for Abutilon sonorae in Arizona Flora says, “stems and petioles sparsely to copiously hirsute…”.  I miss being copiously hirsute.

Native plants aren’t always showy, but in habitat they are part of an ecological fabric that is a marvelous jumbled mess. So you’re probably not going to add a Sonoran Indian mallow to your personal landscape for its flowers, but to help create a marvelous jumbled mess in your yard. A native mess.The large cordate leaves around the base of the tall stem are certainly a nice part of that mess. Oh, there is a showy native Abutilon found in the nursery trade if you’re not into hirsute stems and petioles. Look for Abutilon palmeri at your favorite native plant nursery. Me, I’ll be growing the tall stemmed and small flowered Sonoran Indian mallow and taking them to market in the spring… Grow Native!

The photo of the flower is by Sue Carnahan and the photo of the seed capsules is mine.

Other Episodes

Episode

April 22, 2015
Episode Cover

Ribes species

Petey needs to talk about currants and gooseberries and he does. You better listen.

Listen

Episode 0

June 30, 2020 00:05:04
Episode Cover

Plants, Fires and Starting Over

The Bighorn Fire in the Catalina Mountains near Tucson, AZ. started on June 5th of 2020 and as I sit and write this a...

Listen

Episode

January 21, 2014
Episode Cover

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Petey recounts some of his childhood. Give a listen. When I was a child growing up in Kentucky, it was segregated. I feel very...

Listen