Velvetleaf

Weed flora of Mississippi

Family: Malvaceae

Genus: Abutilon                              Species: theophrasti

History: Velvetleaf was introduced to North America from China or India by early European colonists for use as a fiber crop.

Life Cycle: Summer annual

Special Characteristics: Up to 7 feet tall, entire plant is covered with short, soft, “velvety” hairs. A summer annual weed with rapid growth and high photosynthetic rates. A single plant may produce 700 to 1,700 seeds.  Seeds retain their viability in the soil for over 50 years, making eradication difficult.

Roots: Taproot

Stems: Erect, branched

Seedling: Stems below the cotyledons are covered with soft hairs and purple in color.  Seedlings have one round and one heart-shaped cotyledon.

Leaves: Alternate

 Flower: Yellow, five petaled

Seeds / Fruit: Rounded with 9 to 15 segments arranged in a disk, each contain 3 gray-brown seeds (~ 45 seeds/disk).

Interference: Velvetleaf is a major weed in corn and soybean, infesting more than 22 million acres of soybean in the United States.