Name: Abutilon mauritianum

Family: Malvaceae

COMMON NAMES: African Mallow, thutt

LOCAL NAMES: Furu, kawo

USEFUL PARTS: Leaves, root

GENERAL USES

The leaves and flower are edible and can be cooked as vegetables.
Stems can be use as chew sticks in cleaning the teeth and also to make basket .
Leaves are can use as bandage on wounds and as toilet paper.

WHY IS IT GREEN?

Abutilon mauritianum medicinal uses include:

Diarrhoea
Gonorrhea
Antipyretic
Cough
Piles

FURTHER READINGS

Jordaan, L. A., & Downs, C. T. (2012). Comparison of germination rates and fruit traits of indigenous Solanum giganteum and invasive Solanum mauritianum in South Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 80, 13–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sajb.2012.01.007

Olckers, T., & Hulley, P. E. (1991). Impoverished Insect Herbivore Faunas on the Exotic Bugweed Solanum-Mauritianum Scop Relative To Indigenous Solanum Species in Natal Kwazulu and the Transkei. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa, 54(1), 39–50.

Pandey, D. P., Rather, M. A., Nautiyal, D. P., & Bachheti, R. K. (2011). Phytochemical analysis of abutilon Indicum. International Journal of ChemTech Research, 3(2), 642–645.

Rajalakshmi, P. V, & Senthil, K. K. (2009). Direct Hplc Analysis of Quercetin in Exudates of Abutilon Indicum (Linn). Malvaceae. Journal of Pharmaceutical Science and Technology, 1(2), 80–83.

Seetharam, Y. N., Chalageri, G., & Setty, S. R. (2002). Hypoglycemic activity of Abutilon indicum leaf extracts in rats. Fitoterapia, 73(2), 156–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0367-326X(02)00015-1

Wege, C., Gotthardt, R. D., Frischmuth, T., & Jeske, H. (2000). Fulfilling Koch’s postulates for Abutilon mosaic virus. Archives of Virology, 145(10), 2217–2225. https://doi.org/10.1007/s007050070052

Banso, A., & Adeyemo, S. (2006). Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial assessment of Abutilon mauritianum, Bacopa monnifera and Datura stramonium. Biokemistri, 18(1), 39–44