Abutilon

abutilon, (genus Abutilon), genus of over 100 species of herbaceous plants and partly woody shrubs of the mallow family (Malvaceae) native to tropical and warm temperate areas. It includes several species used as houseplants and in gardens for their white to deep orange, usually nodding, five-petaled blossoms.

trailing abutilon

Chinese lantern, also known as flowering maple (Abutilon ×hybridum), is planted outdoors in warm regions and grown in greenhouses elsewhere. It is a fast-growing shrub with attractive hanging flowers. Another species, sometimes known as redvein flowering maple (A. pictum), is a handsome variegated-leaf shrub reaching a height of 4.5 metres (15 feet) and is grown as a houseplant. The trailing abutilon (A. megapotamicum), often grown as a hanging plant, is noted for its nodding, yellowish orange, closed flowers.

An important fibre plant in Asia is A. theophrasti, called China jute; it is a very serious field weed in the United States, where it is called velvetleaf or Indian mallow.