Pelotazo (Abutilon incanum)
Description
Abutilon incanum, also known as hoary abutilon, pelotazo, pelotazo chico, tronadora, and ma-o (Hawai-i), is a shrub widespread throughout the arid, warm regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico as well as Hawai-i.It grows to between 0.5-2 metres (1.6-6.6 ft) in height; the leaves are ovate to lance-ovate in shape, with crenate margins, and sizes ranging from 0.5-3 centimetres (0.20-1.18 in) in width and 1.5-6 centimetres (0.59-2.36 in) in length. The solitary 5-petaled flowers are generally orange; in ssp. incanum they are 6-10 millimetres (0.24-0.39 in) long and orange-yellow, while in ssp. pringlei they are just 4-6 millimetres (0.16-0.24 in) and a deep orange with maroon spots. The 5-8-millimetre (0.20-0.31 in) fruits are capsules with 4-6 cells.It favors rocky slopes and gravelly flats, and occurs in arroyos, at elevations up to 1,370 metres (4,490 ft). Requiring warm-season rain and mild winters, it is found in the Sonoran Desert, but not the Mojave Desert. In Hawai-i, ma-o can be found growing in dry forests and low shrublands at elevations from sea level to 220 metres (720 ft).
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Malvales
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Family: Malvaceae
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Genus: Abutilon
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