Abutilon /əˈbjuːtɪlɒn/[2] is a large genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is distributed throughout the tropics and subtropics[3] of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia.[4] General common names include Indian mallow[5] and velvetleaf;[6] ornamental varieties may be known as room maple, parlor maple, or flowering maple. The genus name is an 18th-century New Latin word[7] that came from the Arabic ’abū-ṭīlūn (أبو طيلون),[8] the name given by Avicenna to this or a similar genus.[9]
The type species is Abutilon theophrasti. Several species formerly placed in Abutilon, including the cultivated species and hybrids commonly known as “flowering maples”, have recently (2012, 2014) been transferred to the new genus Callianthe.
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