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Abutilon otocarpum
Also called Desert Lantern
Abutilon otocarpum, the desert lantern, is a small shrub of the family Malvaceae found in most parts of Australia.
Abutilon otocarpum grows wild in a range of climates from warm temperate to the tropical zone, and is found particularly in semi-arid areas of the tropics and subtropics. Plants in this genus generally require a position in full sun or part day shade, and a fertile well-drained soil. The desert lantern can be in flower for much of the year.
A fibre was obtained from the stem bark by Aboriginal peoples, including the Kalkatungu, but it is unknown if the plant is still utilized today.
Abutilon otocarpum is found in semi-arid districts; on red sandy soils, sand rises and dunes. It occurs on sandplains and low sandy rises, dunefields, fertile alluvial plains, Mulga-dominated red earth plains, intermittent watercourses and run-on areas, and rocky or gravelly ranges, hills or rises composed of neutral or acidic rocks.
Viscid Mallow · Abutilon cryptopetalum · Hiddenpetal Indian mallow · Dwarf lantern-flower · Texas Indian mallow · Hairy Indian mallow · Monkey Bush · Plain Lantern Flower · Mauve · Chinese Lantern · Pelotazo · Monkeybush
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Abutilon otocarpum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
