Abutilon indicum (Britten, 1900)

6. ABUTILON INDICUM View in CoL (L.) Sweet in Hort. Brit. [Sweet] ed. 1, 54. 1826. Sida indica L., Cent. Pl. 2: 26. 1756. TYPE: SWEDEN. Hort. Upsal., Linn-866.29 (LINN) [lectotype: designated by Van Borssum Waalkes 1966: LINN-HL866–29 [Photo]!].

Sida asiatica L. in Cent. Pl. 2: 26. 1756. Abutilon asiaticum (L.) Sweet in Hort. Brit. [Sweet] ed.1, 53. 1826. TYPE: Hermann Illustration in Fl. Zeyl. 520. [lectotype: designated by Verdcourt 2003].

Sida populifolia Lam. in Encycl. 1: 7. 1783. Abutilon populifolium (Lamk.) Sweet , in Hort. Brit. [Sweet] ed. 1, 53. 1826. A. indicum var. populifolium (Lam.) Wight & Arn. , in Fl. Ind. Orient. 1: 56. 1834. TYPE: INDIA. P. Sonnerat s.n. (P-LA, P00287478).

Shrub, 2–4 m high. Stem brown; young stem with dense indumentum of stellate hairs intermixed with scattered simple hairs, scarce glandular hairs. Leaf lamina 5–15 3 2–10 cm, appears slightly trilobed; velutinous with stellate pubescence on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces, 7–9-nerved, base cordate, apex acute to shortly acuminate. Petioles 4–15 cm long, stipules 3–4 mm long, Flowers axillary, solitary; flowering pedicel 1.5–2 cm, articulated 3–4 mm below the flower; fruiting pedicel 5–6 cm long, articulated 8 mm below the fruit. Calyx campanulate, 1.5 cm across, lobes ovate, 6–7 mm long, apex acute to shortly acuminate, below the half of schizocarp in mature fruit. Corolla 2.5–3 cm across, yellow, petals reflexed in fully bloomed flower; petals 8–10 3 4–7 mm, broadly obovate, truncate, apex emarginated, lobes slightly unequal; glabrous above and beneath. Staminal column 5–8 mm, base stellate pubescent; tube 2–3 mm long, stellate pubescent; filaments 3–5 mm, glabrous. Ovary 4 3 3 mm, globose, 15–17 carpellary, stigma capitate. Schizocarps 1.5–2 3 1 cm, cylindrical, or sometimes appears like a rounded pot with broader mouth; apex truncate, indented. Mericarps 1–1.3 3 0.5 cm, reniform, base rounded, apex acute or shortly acuminate with 1–2 mm awn, curved dorsally, 2–3-seeded. Seeds 2–2.2 3 2–2.2 mm, brownish to black, reniform, warted, surface glabrous, tuft of stellate hairs at hilum, sometime glabrous. Figures 6F–J View FIG , 7H–N View FIG .

Distribution and Habitat — A. indicum is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is the most frequently occurring species in the study area ( Fig. 8 View FIG ) and very common along roadsides, wastelands, and forest edges.

Etymology —The specific epithet “indicum ” is based on the place ( India) from where Linnaeus obtained the specimen.

Phenology —Flowering starts from July to February and fruiting from August to March. Flowers usually open after 2 or 3 PM.

Notes —There is a discrepancy regarding synonymizing the name Abutilon asiaticum (5 Sida asiatica L.) under A. indicum or A. guineense . Identification of herbarium specimens and floristic treatments pointed out the need to resolve the taxonomic status of the name ‘ A. asiaticum ’. For example, a specimen from MH (Tiruchirapalii, s.c. s.n., 1941) labeled as A. asiaticum is actually of A. guineense and a specimen of A. indicum from BSI (Satara, S. D. Deshpande 169062) is labeled as A. asiaticum . In previous treatments ( Cooke 1903; Van Borssum Waalkes 1966) the name ‘ A. asiaticum ’ is applied (or considered conspecific) for the plant having “calyx exceeding schizocarps: (5 A. guineense ). A thorough explanation by Verdcourt (2003) states that the name Sida asiatica L. (1756) is correspondent with S. abutilon var. b ( Linnaeus 1753), which is linked to elements in Flora Zeylanica: 520. 1747 and Pluknet’ s Phytographia 126. F. 5. 1692, and ultimately to the specimen in Linnaean Herbarium (LINN 866.27, showing characters of A. indicum (calyx much shorter than schizocarp)). Therefore, Linnaeus’ s (1753, 1756) description of Sida asiatica cannot fit with the above-mentioned specimen from LINN. Moreover, although Linnaeus (1762) has differentiated S. asiatica and S. indica , the above-mentioned components from Flora Zeylanica and Pluknet’ s Phytographia match to S. indica L. (5 A. indicum ). Therefore, the name A. asiaticum should be treated as a synonym for A. indicum (L.) Sweet.

Representative Specimens—India. — ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS: West bay, 23 Apr 1977, P. Chakraworthy 5529 (PBL). — ANDHRA PRADESH: Kurnool Dt.: Nandyal, 29 Feb 1957, SKW 5266 (BLAT). Nellor Dt., Shriharikota, 13 Jan 1958, SKW 7255 (BLAT). Visakhapatnam Dt., Waltair University campus, 21 Oct 1956, S. J. Santapau 21356 (BLAT). — ASSAM: Kamrup Dt., Jorabat, 24 Sep 1957, R. S. Rao 9876 (CAL). — KARNATAKA: Mysore Dt., Near Gundlupet, 675m, 30 Aug 1964, Naithani 21318 (MH). Raichur Dt., Lingsugur-Raichur road, 13 Nov 1975, N. P. Singh 141678 (BSI). — GUJARAT: Devbhoomi Dwarka Dt., Okha, 13 Oct 1953, S. J. Santapau 16675 (BLAT). Navsari Dt., Unai, Dangs Forest, 8 Mar 1954, S. J. Santapau 18243 (BLAT). Panchamahal Dt., Pavagadh, 29 Dec 1959, S. J. Santapau 19853 (BLAT); Pavagadh, 25 Sep 2015, VVN 559 (BAMU, SPPU). Vadodara Dt., Baroda college Campus, 2 Jan 1955, G. L. Shah 1476 (BLAT); Baroda Public Park, 16 Oct 1954, G. L. Shah 895 (BLAT); Palanpur, 31 Jan 2015, VVN 527 (BAMU, SPPU). — LAKSHDWEEP: Agathi island, 22 Feb 1959, B. M. Wadhwa 48327 (BSI). Kalpeni, Way to satellite station, 13 Dec 1993, P. Bhagavan 100922 (MH). — MAHARASHTRA: Akola Dt., Hiwarkhed, 10 Jan 2011, M. N. Bokhad 024141 (AHMA); Aurangabad Dt., Beed bypass road, Aurangabad city, 12 Oct 2014, VVN 503 (BAMU, SPPU); St. Road, Vaijapur, 5 Dec 2014, VVN 511 (BAMU, SPPU); Buldhana Dt., Rohinkhed forest area, 24 Dec 1982, P. G. Diwakar 104823 (BSI); Jalgaon Dt., Jamner, 16 May 1982, K. M. Rao 160572 (BSI); Mumbai Dt., Bandra, Apr 1919, B. N. Vakil 31089 (BLAT); Marve road, Malad, 17 Mar 1957, G. L. Shah 8736 (BLAT); Parel, 1 Sep 1965, MRA 252 (BLAT). Nashik Dt., Nandur Madhmeshwar, 1 Dec 2014, VVN 509 (BAMU, SPPU); Near Nanduri naka, 1 Dec 2014, VVN 510 (BAMU, SPPU). Pune Dt., 30 Mar 1955, V. D. Vartak 593 (AHMA); Base of the Sinhagad hills, 1 Apr 1957, V. D. Vartak 8274 (AHMA); Pune City, Near Balbharati, 22 May 1956, A. S. Upadhye MP238 (AHMA); Wadgaon, 10 June 2006, R. B. Bhagat s.n. (AHMA); Junnar, 3 Sep 2016, VVN 572 (BAMU); Kanhe Phata, Wadgaon Maval, 7 Oct 2016, VVN 579 (BAMU); Aalandi road, Pune, 31 Oct 2016, VVN 582 (BAMU). Satara Dt., Karad, near rest house, 17 Aug 1984, S. D. Deshpande 169062 (BSI, labeled as A. asiaticum ). Solapur Dt., Valsang, May 1918, E. Blatter 29943 (BLAT); Dehu road, 26 Jan 2015, VVN 522 (BAMU, SPPU); Thane Dt., Mumbra, 5 Jan1954, K. V. Shenoy KVS 1988 (BLAT). — PONDICHERRY: Auroville, 1.53m, 8 Jul 1989, R. Rajan 91432 (MH). — RAJASTHAN: Ajmer Dt., s.l., 5 Jun 1941, S. J. Santapau 12 (BLAT). Banswara Dt., Ghatol city, 16 Oct 1976, V. Singh 3701 (BSJO); Banswara city, road side, 24 Sep 2015, VVN 555 (SPPU). Bharatpur Dt., Ghana bird sanctuary, s.d., P. J. Parmar 8635 (BSJO). Jhalawar Dt., Kali Sindh river bank, 24 Apr 1964, B. M. Verma 3404 (BSJO). Jhunjhunu Dt., Kot dam, 21 Nov 1992, R. P. Pandey & P.M. Pandey 11169 (BSJO). Jodhpur Dt., Jodhpur city, 17 Jan 2015, VVN 520 (BAMU, SPPU); Meharangarh fort, 21 Sep 2015, VVN 546 (BAMU, SPPU); BSI campus Jodhpur, 21 Sep 2015, VVN 549 (SPPU). Pali Dt., Sadari, 450m, 13 Apr 1977, R. P. Pandey 4128 (BSJO). Sirohi Dt., Mount Abu, Oct 1916, s.c. 18361 (BLAT). Tonk Dt., Ghati village near Tordi, 17 Feb 1973, B. V. Shetty 565 (BSJO). s.l., 10 Jan 1950, M. M. Payak 10 (AHMA). Udaypur Dt., Udaypur city, 24 Sep 2015, VVN 552 (BAMU). — TAMIL NADU: Chennai Dt., Madras, Dec 1956, P. Divakaran 6 (AHMA); Tambaram, 11 Feb 2015, VVN 528, VVN 530, (BAMU, SPPU); Maraimalai Nagar, 11 Feb 2015, VVN 534 (BAMU, SPPU). Coimbatore Dt., Valparai, 21 Dec 1992, Sivarajan & Pradeep 47763 (CALI); Coimbatore city, 13 Dec 2016, VVN 587 (BAMU, SPPU).Kanyakumari Dt., Colachal, 26 Jan 1978, A. N. Henry 53296 (MH); Pudukottai Dt., Karapatti- way to Kunnankoil, 100m, 16 Mar 1986, C. Arulappan 446 (MH). Ramanathapuram Dt., Rameshwaram 100m, 4 Dec 1977, N. C. Nair 53079 (MH). Tirunelvelly Dt., Main falls, Cortallam, 367m, 16 Dec 1957, K. Subramanyam 4932 (MH). Salem Dt., Chennai to Salem Road, 12 Feb 2015, VVN 537, VVN 538 (BAMU, SPPU). Tindivanam Dt., Tindivanam city, 15 Feb 2015, VVN 543 (BAMU, SPPU). Tiruvanamalai Dt., Mamandur, 2 May 1914, s.c. s.n., Accession no. 3823(MH). — TELANGANA: Hyderabad Dt., Puranapull, 27 Jun 1958, Sebastine 5989 (CAL). — WEST BENGAL: Hoogly Dt., Uttarpara, 31 Mar 1967, Soloman 405 (CAL); Howrah Dt., Goabaria, 2 Nov 1953, Naskar s.n. (CAL). Malda Dt., Kutubsagar, 25 Apr 1966, Dutta 196 (CAL).