Velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti), an Invasive Plant from Asia

Opálková M.

The velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti) is a less-well known invasive plant from the family Malvaceae. It originates in China and has started to spread into the Czech Republic. It is not a common plant, but it is on the check-list of quarantine weeds. It is often found in the surroundings of the Labe river and in the surroundings of Prague and Brno. Only a few findings of this plant from northern Moravia are known, which is why its discovery in September 2009 on a deserted field in Ostrava is interesting. We saw a few dozen specimens of this plant. There is also a risk of its spread to nearby fields used for agriculture.

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