Abutilon indicum (Link) Sweet, Malvaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Other Latin names:  Sida indica L.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chamorro: malbas, matbas

Chinese: mo pan cao

English: Indian abutilon, Indian lantern-flower, Indian mallow, abutilon, country mallow, monkey bush, twelve o'clock flower

French: fausse guimauve satinée, guimauve, herbe de douze heures, mauve du pays

I-Kiribati: te kaura, te kaura ni Banaba

Japanese: takasago ichibi

Nauruan: ekaura, inen kaura

Spanish: botón de oro, malbas, malva amarilla

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "An erect velvety-pubescent subshrub with suborbicular-ovate cordate coarsely crenate-serrate long-petiolate alternate leaves; pubescence of soft stellate pale hairs; flowers solitary in axils, on long pedicels (4-7 cm), usually longer than the petioles; petals orange-yellow, imbricate, deltoid-obovate, 1 cm long or slightly more, staminal-tube hirsute with stellate hairs; fruit circular, of 11-20 radiating carpels, hirsute, brown when dry; each carpel flattened, somewhat boatshaped, apiculate by the short persistent style-remnant, about 8 mm long; seeds reniform and stellate-pubescent"  (Stone, 1970; p. 409).

Habitat/ecology:  "Occurring in disturbed sites at low elevations near the ocean" (Wagner et al., 1999; 873). In Guam, "a rather uncommon plant, appearing in waste ground or around buildings" (Stone, 1970; p. 409).

Propagation:  Seed

Native range:  Southeast Asia, now widespread as a tropical weed (Stone, 1970; p. 409).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Farallon de Medinilla (Marpi, Medinilla) Island		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Maug Island	introduced	Ohba, T. (1994) (p. 59) Voucher cited: CBM-BS-59173
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Rota Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Sarigan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Sarigan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Falanruw, M. V. C./Sachet, M.-H. (1975) (p. 32) Voucher cited: Evans 2425 (US, BISH, Fo, NY)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Northern Mariana Islands	Tinian Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (US) Saipan	Saipan Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Cook Islands Northern Cook Islands	Manihiki Atoll		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Cook Islands Northern Cook Islands	Pukapuka Atoll		McCormack, Gerald (2013)
Federated States of Micronesia Yap Islands	Yap (Waqab) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Fiji Fiji Islands	Vanua Mbalavu Island	introduced invasive	Smith, Albert C. (1981) (p. 439) Vouchers cited: DA L.13846, L. 14391
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 166-168) subsp. indicum
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Rangiroa (Rairoa) Atoll	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 166-168) subsp. albescens (F.A.W. Miquel) J. Borssum-Waalkes
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Rangiroa (Rairoa) Atoll	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) subsp. albescens (F.A.W. Miquel) J. Borssum-Waalkes. Voucher cited: J. Florence 10018 (PAP) Adventice
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Toau (Tovau) Atoll	introduced invasive	Florence, J. (2004) (pp. 166-168) subsp. albescens (F.A.W. Miquel) J. Borssum-Waalkes
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Toau (Tovau) Atoll	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) subsp. albescens (F.A.W. Miquel) J. Borssum-Waalkes. Adventice
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) subsp. albescens (F.A.W. Miquel) J. Borssum-Waalkes. Adventice
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced invasive	Stone, Benjamin C. (1970) (p. 409) Voucher cited: Stone 4756 (GUAM)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Guam Guam Island	Guam Island		National Tropical Botanical Garden (U.S.A. Hawaii. Kalaheo.) (year unknown) (voucher ID: PTBG 23439) Taxon name on voucher: Abutilon indicum
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 873) Cultivated, perhaps occasionally naturalized. Voucher referenced: Pearsall 498 Naturalized
Japan (offshore islands) Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands	Bonin (Ogasawara) Islands	introduced	Kato, Hidetoshi (2007) Also subsp. guineense (Schumach.) Borss.Waalk
Kiribati Banaba Island	Banaba (Ocean) Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Kiribati Line Islands	Kiritimati (Christmas) Atoll	introduced invasive	Wester, Lyndon (1985) (p. 26) Abutilon albescens Miq.; wrongly indentified as A. indicum (Fosberg, 1943).
Kiribati Tungaru (Gilbert) Islands	Tarawa Atoll	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Marshall Islands Ralik Chain	Jaluit (Jãlwõj) Atoll		Wagner, W. L./ Herbst, D. R./Weitzman, A./Lorence, D.H. (2013)
Nauru Nauru Island	Nauru Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Palau Palau (Belau ) (main island group)	Palau Islands (main island group)		Lorence, David H./Flynn, Tim (2010) (p. 33)
Palau Sonsorol Group	Sonsorol Island	introduced	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Oliver, Royce (1979) (p. 160)
Palau Sonsorol Group	Sonsorol Island		Beleu National Museum (Republic of Palau. Koror.) (1968) (voucher ID: BNM 501) Taxon name on voucher: Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet
Papua New Guinea Bismarck Archipelago	Bismarck Archipelago		Peekel, P. G. [translated by E. E. Henty] (1984) (p. 359) Abundant in overgrown plantations.
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 63)
Philippines Philippine Islands	Philippine Islands	introduced invasive	Merrill, Elmer D. (1923) (pp. 32-33) In thickets and waste places in and about towns at low and medium altitudes.
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Baker Island	Baker Island	introduced invasive	Christophersen, Erling (1927) (pp. 71, 78) Voucher cited: Christophersen 23
United States (other Pacific offshore islands) Jarvis Island	Jarvis Island	introduced invasive	Christophersen, Erling (1927) (pp. 36, 78) Voucher cited: Bergman 49

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Western Australia
Australia Australia (continental)	Northern Territory	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Cambodia Cambodia	Cambodia (Kingdom of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 63)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
China China	Hong Kong	native	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 97)
Indonesia Indonesia	Indonesia (Republic of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Japan Ryukyu Islands	Ryukyu Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Malaysia Malaysia	Malaysia (country of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Singapore Singapore	Singapore (Republic of)	uncertain if introduced invasive	Chong, Kwek Yan/Tan, Hugh T. W./Corlett, Richard T. (2009) (p. 9) Weed of uncertain origin
Taiwan Taiwan Island	Taiwan Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Thailand Thailand	Thailand (Kingdom of)	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Vietnam Vietnam	Vietnam (Socialist Republic of)		Waterhouse, D. F. (1993) (p. 63)

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced	Stoddart, D. R./Taylor, J. D., eds. (1971) (p. 153) Voucher cited: Wiehe in 1939 (MAU)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced cultivated	Whistler, W. Arthur (1996) (p. 34)
British Indian Ocean Territory Chagos Archipelago	Diego Garcia Island	introduced invasive cultivated	Rivers, Julie (2004) (pp. 4, 8)
Maldives Maldive Islands	Malè Atoll		Fosberg, F. R. (1957) (p. 26) "Occasional in coconut plantation". Voucher cited: Fosberg 36897 (US)
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Mauritius Island	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Agalega Island	native	Fosberg, F. R./Sachet, Marie-Hélène/Stoddart, D. R. (1983) (p. 127)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Cousin Island	introduced invasive	Fosberg, F. R. (1983) (p. 28) Voucher cited: Fosberg 52068 (US)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Desnoeufs Island		Wilson, J. R. (1983) (p. 209)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Frégate Island		Robertson, S. A./Todd, D. M. (1983) (p. 53) Voucher cited: Todd 26
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Marie-Louise Island		Wilson, J. R. (1983) (p. 192)
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	native	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013)

Control:  If you know of control methods for Abutilon indicum, please let us know.