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The Collaborative International Dictionary

Velvetleaf \Vel"vet*leaf`\, n. (Bot.) A name given to several plants which have soft, velvety leaves, as the Abutilon Avicenn[ae], the Cissampelos Pareira, and the Lavatera arborea, and even the common mullein.

  1. n. arborescent perennial shrub having palmately lobed furry leaves and showy red-purple flowers; southwestern United States [syn: tree mallow, velvet-leaf, Lavatera arborea]

  2. tall annual herb or subshrub of tropical Asia having velvety leaves and yellow flowers and yielding a strong fiber; naturalized in southeastern Europe and United States [syn: velvet-leaf, velvetweed, Indian mallow, butter-print, China jute, Abutilon theophrasti]


Velvetleaf (or "velvet leaf", etc.) is a common name used for plants with soft-haired leaves:

  • Abutilon theophrasti native to southern Asia
  • Cissampelos pareira, native to tropical America
  • Lavatera arborea, native to Europe
  • Limnocharis flava, native to tropical America and introduced to southeast Asia