Abutilon grandifolium (Willd.) Sweet, Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Sida grandifolia Willd.

Common name(s): [more details]

English: hairy abutilon

Hawaiian: ma‘o

Marquesan: punehu

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Shrubs 1-2 (-3) m tall, stems, petioles, and pedicels stellate tomentose and pubescent with spreading, shiny, simple hairs up to 5 mm long.  Leaf blades ovate to orbicular, 8-15 (-22) cm long, margins dentate, apex acuminate, base deeply cordate with lobes often overlapping, petioles 5-10 (-15) cm long.  Flowers solitary or 2-6 in naked cymes, exceeding the leaves, peduncles and pedicels up to 10 cm long, articulate; calyx 1.1-1.5 cm long at anthesis, lobed to near base, accrescent and loosely surrounding the fruit; corolla cup-shaped to subrotate, petals yellow to yellowish orange, 1.2-2 (-2.5) cm long, undulate-dentate apically; staminal column 5-8 mm long; style branches yellow; stigmas maroon.  Schizocarp dull black, broadly urceolate-truncate, 11-14 mm long, yellowish pubescent, mericarps usually 10, think-walled and somewhat inflated, short-beaked dorso-ventrally. Seeds usually 3-6 per mericarp, blackish, reniform, 2-3 mm long, sparsely pubescent."  (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 872).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, "naturalized in waste areas, fields, and along roadsides, especially in arid regions, from near sea level up to 600 (-1,075) m" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 872).  In Niue, "growing in waste places or much modified scrub near the villages" (Sykes, 1970; pp. 111, 321).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  New World, now a widespread tropical weed although sometimes cultivated as an ornamental or for fiber (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 872).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 9) Vouchers cited: P. Ralston 28 (A), W.R. Sykes NI 619 (CHR), O. Evans (CHR), P.S. Green 2397 (K), H.H. Allan (NSW)
Federated States of Micronesia Kosrae Island	Kosrae Island	introduced invasive	Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. (2002) (p. 62) Abutilon grandiflorum Willd. Possible missidentification.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Hiva Oa Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Tahuata (Tuhuata) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Raiatea (Havai) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Kaukura Atoll	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Tubuai (Austral) Islands	Raivavae (Raevavae) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Tubuai (Austral) Islands	Rimatara (Rimitara) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Tubuai (Austral) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
French Polynesia Tubuai (Austral) Islands	Tubuai (Tupuai) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 162-164)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lehua Island	introduced invasive	Wood, K. R./LeGrande, Maya (2006) (p. 24) Voucher cited: Flynn et al. 4849 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Ni‘ihau Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced	Sykes, W. R. (1970) (pp. 111, 321) See comments. Voucher cited: CHR 170340
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Yuncker, T. G. (1943) (p. 81) See Sykes (1970), p. 321. Vouchers cited: Yuncker 9887 (BISH), Yuncker 10157 (BISH) "On sea cliffs and in thickets".
Niue Niue	Niue Island	introduced invasive	Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate (2004) (p. 38)
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Midway Atoll	Midway Atoll	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 872)

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
New Zealand New Zealand	New Zealand (country)	introduced invasive cultivated	Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. (1988) (p. 822) "Waste places". Occasional garden escape.
Perú Perú	Perú (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

Comments:  *Reported present on Niue (Sykes, 1970; pp. 111, 321) but not seen by Whistler (1988).

Additional information:  Additional online information about Abutilon grandifolium is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Abutilon grandifolium may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Florence, J. 2004. Flore de la Polynésie française, Vol. 2. Paris. IRE Editions, Publications Scientifiques, Collection Faune et Flore Tropicales 41. 503 pp.

Josekutty, P. C./Wakuk, E. E./Joseph, M. J. 2002. Invasive/weedy angiosperms in Kosrae, Federated States of Micronesia. In: Invasive species and their management. Micronesica Suppl. 6:61-65.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Space, James C./Waterhouse, Barbara M./Newfield, Melanie/Bull, Cate. 2004. Report to the Government of Niue and the United Nations Development Programme: Invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta. UNDP NIU/98/G31 - Niue Enabling Activity. 80 pp.

Swarbrick, John T. 1997. Weeds of the Pacific Islands. Technical paper no. 209. South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 124 pp.

Sykes, W. R. 1970. Contributions to the flora of Niue. New Zealand Department of Scientific and Industrial Research Bulletin 200, Wellington. 321 pp.

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).

Webb, C. J./Sykes, W. R./Garnock-Jones, P. J. 1988. Flora of New Zealand, Volume IV: Naturalised pteridophytes, gymnosperms, dicotyledons. Botany Division, DSIR, Christchurch. 1365 pp.

Whistler, W. A. 1988. Checklist of the weed flora of western Polynesia. Technical Paper No. 194, South Pacific Commission, Noumea, New Caledonia. 69 pp.

Wood, K. R./LeGrande, Maya. 2006. An annotated checklist and new island records of flowering plants from Lehua Islet, Ni‘ihau, Hawai‘i. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2004-2005. Part 1: Articles. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 87:19-29.

Yuncker, T. G. 1943. The flora of Niue Island. Bishop Mus. Bull. 178. Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 126 pp.