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  • Amateur Gardening

    A plantsman’s choice

    Nov 23, 2021 5 minutes

    Lantern flower

    THE name Abutilon megapotamicum, with megapotamicum meaning big river, is appropriate, since the home of this shrub is the Rio Grande in Brazil. More than one eminent and scholarly gardener has named it mesopotamicum, under the impression, I suppose, that it was to be found between the Tigris and the Euphrates. The use of the old name A. vexillarium (by which some growers still list it in their catalogues) would have saved this embarrassing situation.

    The order Malvaceae to which it belongs is one of my favourites, and it is one of the best members of this fine family. It does need a wall, and is very useful under a window as it does not grow very high and will not obscure the light.

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