Abutilon longicuspe
Abutilon longicuspe is a shrub in the mallow family, Malvaceae, native from northeastern Sudan into southern tropical Africa and southwestern Arabia. Plants of the World Online accepts the name Abutilon longicuspe Hochst. ex A.Rich., published in 1848.[1]
Description
The Flora of Tropical East Africa describes a shrub or shrubby herb usually 1–4.5 metres tall, sometimes taller. Star-shaped hairs give the foliage a soft, velvety surface. The leaves are ovate, toothed and pointed, with a greyer underside. Flowers occur in branched clusters and have whitish, pink, lilac or mauve petals with a dark purple centre. The fruit separates into numerous one-seeded segments. The petals are not yellow.[1]
Habitat
PROTA records the plant from secondary forest, scrub, grassland and rocky places, including the edges of montane and riverside forest. It also occurs in coffee-growing areas. The account gives an elevation range of about 1,000–3,000 metres.[2]
Fibre and local uses
Fibres extracted from the stem bark have been used for string and rope in East Africa. Recorded uses include basket-making in Kenya and tying materials in house construction in Tanzania. The plant is also reported as bee forage.[2]
Kenyan trials during the 1950s investigated it as a fibre crop, obtaining reported yields of roughly 700–1,000 kg of fibre per hectare. The fibre's spinning qualities were considered unsatisfactory. Local use and experimental cultivation therefore should not be confused with evidence of an established large-scale textile crop.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. “Abutilon longicuspe”. Plants of the World Online, including Verdcourt, B.; Mwachala, G. (2009), Malvaceae in Flora of Tropical East Africa. Accessed 8 October 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Achigan-Dako, E. G. (2010). “Abutilon longicuspe”. Plant Resources of Tropical Africa (PROTA), reproduced by Pl@ntUse. Accessed 8 October 2026.