Flower and leaves. Photographer Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Flowers and leaves. Photographer Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Flowering plant. Photographer Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Flowering plant. Photographer Don Wood, Scotia Sanctuary, NSW

Common Name

Desert Chinese Lantern; Desert Lantern

Family

Malvaceae

Notes

Shrub or perennial forb to 60cm tall.  Leaves alternating up the stems, flat, 1.5-6cm long, narrow to circular, hairy, toothed.  Flowers yellow, with 5 petals, borne singly on stalks originating at the bases of the leaves, often appearing clustered at the ends of the stems.  Vulnerable Vic.

Differs from Abutilon fraseri and Abutilon halophilum in that the petals are about the same length as the calyx, and from Abutilon theophrasti in that the tops of the fruitlets in the fruiting body have very short points.

Description and photo in GM Cunningham, WE Mulham, PL Milthorpe and JH Leigh (1981 and later printings) Plants of Western New South Wales pages 485-486

eFloraSA article with line drawings including fruiting body:   http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/speciesfacts_display.cgi?form=speciesfacts&name=Abutilon_otocarpum