Texas Gardening: Texas Native Plant Pictures by color ( White ), 0 by htop

htop wrote:
Indian Mallow, Shrubby Indian Mallow, Hoary Abutilon, Pelotazo, Pelotazo Chico, Tronadora (Abutilon incanum), Malvaceae, native, perennial, evergreen, considered a subshrub, blooms throught the year (but, principally Oct-Nov), considered a weed by many

I find it listed as a native Texas plant ; however, the USDA Plants Database does not list it as such. It can be found in dry, rocky open woodlands and prairies from the Edwards Plateau to West Texas.

Shrubby Indian Mallow grows to be up to 40 inches (1 m) tall (rarely taller). The 5-petalled, up to 3/4 inch (1.9 cm) wide flowers (petals may be pink, white, or yellow) each have a dark red basal spot with reddish veins extending from it. The heart-shaped, grayish appearing, velvety leaves are petioled, and somewhat elongated. The velvety foliage (covered in fine stellate hairs) provides interesting texture in a xeric garden. They have sharp or rounded toothed margins. The brown seed capsules have 5 mericarps which helps distinguish it from other species. Each mericarp has 3 seeds which are about 1.8 to 2 mm long To encourage bushy new spring growth, cut it back in the spring. Indian mallow is a larval host plant and a nectar source for several butterfly species including the Texas Powdered Skipper and Common Streaky-Skipper.

There are 2 subspecies:
Abutilon incanum ssp. incanum ( pelotazo)
Abutilon incanum ssp. pringlei (Pringle abutilon, Pringle's abutilon)

Images of Abutilon incanum yellowish blooms can be seen here:
http://wildflower.org/gallery/result.php?id_image=1282

For more information, see its entry in the PlantFiles:
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/166681/

White blooms ... Photo courtesy of Forest & Kim Starr