Abutilon leucopetalum
(F. Muell.) Benth.
Desert lantern, Lantern Bush
(c) Peter Lang, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Peter Lang
(c) Thomas Mesaglio, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Thomas Mesaglio
(c) Kenneth Bader, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kenneth Bader
What to Eat
Edible parts: Root
The thickened root is eaten after cooking.
Where to Find It
It is a tropical plant. This plant occurs in Central and Northern Australia. It is often near the base of rocks in the hills. It needs well drained soil. It does best in a sunny position. It can grow in arid places.
Australia*,
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
How to Grow
It can be grown from seed or cuttings. Seedling germination is encouraged by burning. Flowering occurs after rains.
Wikipedia
Source ↗Abutilon leucopetalum commonly known as desert Chinese lantern, is a flowering plant in the family Malvaceae and is endemic to Australia. It is a small shrub with yellow flowers and branches densely covered with soft hairs.
Notes
There are about 100-160 Abutilon species.
Names & Synonyms
Desert Chinese Lantern
References (6)
- Elliot, W.R., & Jones, D.L., 1982, Encyclopedia of Australian Plants suitable for cultivation. Vol 2. Lothian. p 8
- Fl. austral. 1:200. 1863
- Hunter, J.T., 2017, Is there a relationship between contemporary high Aboriginal plant resource locations and mapped vegetation communities? Cunninghamia 17:27-34. The Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. ISSN 2200 - 405X
- Latz, P.K., 1996, Bushfires and Bushtucker: Aboriginal plant use in Central Australia. IAD Press Alice Springs p 83
- Lazarides, M. & Hince, B., 1993, Handbook of Economic Plants of Australia, CSIRO. p 1
- Paczkowska, G. & Chapman, A.R., 2000, The Western Australian Flora. A Descriptive Catalogue. Western Australian Herbarium. p 285
