Abutilone( maple room)
Family malvovye.
Natural habitats are the tropics and humid subtropics, the homeland is predominantly South America, but in nature it can be found almost everywhere except Europe.
Abutilone is the name of more than one specific flower, but of a kind that includes about 150 species, whose representatives can be both herbaceous plants, shrubs, and even small trees. Their next generic characteristics unite them: the leaves are regular, their jagged edges are 3-5-lobed( they can also be almost heart-shaped or ovate), often reminiscent of maple leaves, in some varieties - mottled, single flowers( the brush collected in the inflorescence meet)petals - 5 fused, the general form of the corolla resembles a bell or drooping flashlight, most often yellow, red or pink, fused stamens and pistils protrude beyond the corolla and may differ from it in color. Abutilone can be considered both as a decorative-flowering plant, and as decorative-nobilistic.
With sufficient lighting, the abutilons can bloom all year round, however at the "inappropriate" time the flowers will be smaller and less decorative. Photoperiodism is poorly expressed.
Varieties( the most common) Abutilone grapefruit The medium-sized, shoots and leaves are pubescent, the flowers sit on long pedicels and are collected in a brush of 3-4 pieces, wide, sirenovato-bluish. Abutilon Hybrid Shrub with maple-shaped, jagged light green leaves. The flowers are axillary, large, drooping, wide-capped. There are several varieties. The varieties "Perl dOr" have golden flowers, "Snowball" - white. Abutilon Darwin In the natural environment reaches 3 m, in the room conditions - up to 1 m. Leaves up to 15 cm in length, covered( as well as a significant part of other organs) with silky hairs, flowers collected in their sinuses 2-3 pcs.5 cm in diameter), bright orange-red with darker red veins. Abutilon megapotam Shrub, reaching one and a half meters. Shoots thin, drooping, ashy hue, leaves are elongated( up to 10 cm).The calyx of the flower is red, the petals are yellow, the stamens are violet.
Abutilone striped Shoots short, flowers on long pedicels, petals golden yellow with red veins and stripes. In the Thompson variety, flowers are often terry.
Abutilone is a generally unpretentious plant.
Requirement for moisture: moderate watering in winter, abundant in summer. It needs rather high atmospheric humidity. From excessive dryness, it can begin to lose leaves. Spraying is desirable.
Temperature mode: normally it feels at room temperature, in winter it should be from 10 to 15 ° C, higher in this period is undesirable.
Light mode: pretty photophile. Withstands direct sunlight. He loves the southern windows.
Requirement for the night: prefers sandy earth-mixtures with a high content of humus( sod, humus or deciduous).To feed is better every ten days, the best fertilizer is an infusion of mullein.
Reproduction: by cuttings( spring or September) and seeds( shoots appear after 20 - 25 days).
Features: grows very fast( up to 50 cm per year), needs a spring transplant. The crown must be cleared by pruning. The hybrid abutilone should be cut off all long shoots - this can prolong flowering. Tops should be plucked. Can be planted on the balcony.