Source: Wikimedia, By Dick Culbert
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
Source: Useful Tropical Plants
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