Description

Indian Mallow is a small shrub in the family Malvaceae, native to tropic and subtropical regions and sometimes cultivated as an ornamental. It is found in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. This plant is often used as a medicinal plant and is considered invasive on certain tropical islands. Its roots and leaves are used for curing fever. Indian Mallow in Malayalam called 'Urum' or 'Urpam' is a shrub found all over India. Family: Malvaceae Scientific name: Abutilon indicum. These are used medicinally. They are also reared for ornamental purposes.

Characteristics:

Annual or perennial or undershrubs, about 1-3 m tall. Stems and branches densely or sparely velutinous with simple minute stellate hairs and grayish pubescent. Leaves simple, alternate, broadly ovate to suborbicular, about 4-12 x 3.5-8.5 cm across, base cordate, margins irregularly sparsely crenate-dentate, apex acute to shallow acuminate, densely or sparsely velutinous with minute stellate simple hairs both above and beneath, petiole, densely or sparsely velutinous with minute stellate simple hairs, about 2-18 cm long, stipules subulate. Inflorescence usually axillary, solitary or aggregated lax panicles. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, jointed in the upper half or apex, velutinous, about 2-4 cm long, epicalyx absent, calyx 5 lobed, campanulate, base connate, valvate, divided from middle, spreading at maturity, shorter or as long as the schizocarp, about 5-8 mm across, lobes ovate, apex acute, densely pubescent with simple and stellate hairs outside, simple long hairs inside, about 5-8 mm across, corolla large, 5, yellow, sometimes with dark colored in the centre, petals obovate, glabrous, about 1.5-2.5 x 6-9 mm across. Stamens usually shorter than petals, base wide, conical, stellate hairy, about 5-7 mm long, filaments somewhat tubular, anthers basifixed, usually clustered. Ovary superior, 15-20 locular, ovules 2-9 per carpel, style branched filiform, stigma capitate. Fruit schizocarp, ovoid-subglobular, about 1.5-2.5 cm across, campanulate, apex biaristate or slightly indented, usually brownish black when mature, with 15-17 mericarps, reniform, margins stellate hairs, laterally glabrous, stellate hairy on ventral side, apex bidentate, dehiscent, shortly acuminate at apex. Seed many, reniform or subreniform, about 2-3 mm across, shortly stellate pubescent, dark brownish black.

Medicinal Uses: