Abutilon sp. Mataranka (R.M.Barker 877)

Malvaceae

[Provisional HISPID phrase name.]

Flowers and fruits as a shrub about 1-2 m tall.

Leaf blade underside densely clothed in stellate hairs. Sticky glandular hairs present on both the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf blades as well as the stems and petioles. Stellate hairs present on all plant parts but not as dense as on the leaf blade underside. Stipules about 3-11 mm long. Leaf blades about 6-11 x 4-9 cm, petioles about as long as the leaf blades. Venation palmate with about 5-7 veins (including the midrib) radiating from the base.

Flower stalks about 15-30 mm long, clothed in glandular and stellate hairs. Flowers about 10-20 mm diam. Calyx tube about 3 mm long, lobes about 10 mm long, the whole calyx densely clothed in glandular and stellate hairs. Petals about 10 mm long. Stamens about 50, free filaments about 2-2.5 mm long, staminal tube about 4 mm long. Pollen orange. Ovary about 10-locular, style branches about 10, each branch about 2-2.5 mm long.

Fruit stalks about 30 mm long but the true pedicel only about 2-4 mm long. Calyx persistent at the base. Fruit about 15 x 15 mm, clothed in straight glandular hairs as well as stellate hairs. Seeds about 3 x 3 mm, testa mainly smooth. Cotyledons straight, not folded, about 4 times wider than the radicle. Radicle about 1-1.5 mm long.

Cotyledons cordate to orbicular, about 8-10 x 9-12 mm. Petioles longer than the cotyledons. First pair of leaves cordate, margins toothed with about 2-5 teeth on each side. At the tenth leaf stage: leaf blade cordate, upper surface clothed in stellate and glandular hairs, lower surface more densely clothed in stellate hairs. Stipules linear, about 3-5 mm long.

Known from NT and NEQ. Altitudinal range uncertain, in NEQ collected at 750 m. Grows as an understory plant in disturbed monsoon forest.

Previously called: Abutilon aff. subviscosum Benth.

Abutilon aff. subviscosum.