Abutilon persicum, (Burm. f.) Merr.

9. ABUTILON PERSICUM (Burm.f.) Merr. View in CoL in Philipp. J. Sci. 19: 364. 1921. Sida persica Burm.f. , in Fl. Ind. [N. L. Burman] 148 (t. 47, Fig. 1 View FIG ). (1768). TYPE: PERSIA ( IRAN), Garcin L. s.n. (lectotype designated here: G G00809406 [photo]!).

Abutilon polyandrum (Roxb.) Wight & Arn. ex Wight View in CoL in Cat. Indian Pl. [Wight] 1: 12. 1833, non G. Don. 1831. Sida polyandra Roxb. View in CoL in Fl. Ind. 3: 173. 1832. Roxb. ex Wall. Cat. No. 1851. 1828. nom. nud. TYPE: INDIA. s.l., W. Roxburgh s.n. [lectotype: designated by Van Borssum Waalkes 1966: BR Isotype- BR, K].

Abutilon sundaicum (Blume) G.Don View in CoL in Gen. Hist. 1: 500. 1831. TYPE: JAVA, Mt. Parang, C. L. Blume s.n., (lectotype: designated by Fryxell 2002: L- 0012915 [photo]!).

Shrub, 3–5 m tall. Stem erect, branched, mature stem brown, young stem covered with sticky indumentum of glandular pubescence with long simple and short stellate hairs, anthocyanin pigmentation variable on main stem and branches. Leaf lamina 7–25 3 5–18 cm, cordate or suborbicular, glandular pubescent abaxially, apex acuminate 7–9-nerved. Petioles 8–15 cm long, pubescent with stellate, long simple and glandular hairs. Stipules 6–8 mm long, lanceolate or triangular. Flowers axillary, solitary; flowering pedicel 1–3 cm long, articulated 5–6 mm below the flower; fruiting pedicel 7–8 cm long, articulated 7–12 mm below the fruit. Calyx 1–2 cm across, lobes lanceolate or triangular, 6– or 10–20 mm long, apex acute or acuminate, reflexed or not, up to the middle of the fruit. Corolla 3–4 cm across yellow with reddish or pinkish patch at center petals 6–12 3 5–9 mm, broadly obovate, truncate at apex, with a tuft of stellate hairs at base, glandular hairs on the margin towards the adjacent petal, reflexed in full blooming stage. Staminal column 20–30 mm, conical, glabrous at base, tubular part 2–3 mm, densely pubescent with stellate indumentum, filaments 10–20 mm, glandular pubescent below the anther. Ovary 4 3 2 mm, cylindrical, 5 or 6–9-loculed, velutinous with stellate hairs, stylar branches as many as carpels, glabrous, apex with somewhat blunt stigmatic surface. Capsule 2.5–3 3 1 cm, infundibuliform, divided at apex, locules 5 or 6–9, a locule 8–9 3 2–3 mm, dorsally straight, apex acute or shortly acuminate, with 1 mm awn. 4–6-seeded. Seeds 2.3–2.5 3 2.3–2.5 mm, oval or globular, unevenly depressed, warted, short simple hairs at hilum, surface brown.

Etymology —The specific epithet persicum is based on the type collection from Persia ( Iran).

Note — Burman (1768) first described this plant as Sida persica , citing a specimen collected from Persia ( Iran) by Garcin. He also provided an illustration plate (P. 148, Table 47, f. 1) with the description. Van Borssum Waalkes (1966) pointed out the imprecision in Burman’ s description and the illustration. He also mentioned his vain attempt to find the type specimen at Geneva. Therefore, he cited the illustration as the ‘provisional type’ for the name Abutilon persicum (Burm.f.) Merr. (5 S. persica Burm.f. ), relying on Merril’ s interpretation ( Merril 1921) of Burman’ s work. As part of the present study, specimens from Burman’ s collection were searched in G, H, L, LINN, and M. It was also revealed that all the Asian species described by Burman are based on Garcin’ s collection from Asia ( Stafleu and Cowan 1976; Stafleu and Mennega 1995). An image of a specimen (G00809406) of A. persicum collected by Garcin as a part of Burman’ s herbarium was retrieved through personal communication with Geneva Herbarium authorities. Its critical evaluation confirmed it as the original material of S. persica Burm. f. which fairly matches the protologue and Merril’ s interpretation (1921). Therefore, the specimen (G00809406) is designated here as the lectotype of Sida persica Burm.f. (5 A. persicum ).