[vel-vit-leef] 
| 1. | Also called velvetleaf. an Asian plant, Abutilon theophrasti, of the mallow family, having velvety leaves and yellow flowers: it is cultivated in China for its jutelike fiber and has become naturalized as a weed in North America. |
| 2. | any of certain related species. |
| vel·vet·leaf (věl'vĭt-lēf') n. A tropical Asian annual herb (Abutilon theophrasti) naturalized in the United States, having large velvety heart-shaped leaves and yellow flowers. It is an important fiber plant in northern China. Also called China jute. |
velvetleaf
any of various plants with soft, velvety leaves, particularly Abutilon theophrasti (sometimes A. avicennae), commonly known as Indian mallow, an annual, hairy plant of the hibiscus, or mallow, family (Malvaceae). Native to southern Asia, A. theophrasti is cultivated in northern China for its fibre and is widely naturalized in warmer regions of North America, where it is often a weed. It grows 0.6-2.4 metres (2-8 feet) tall and has heart-shaped leaves and beaked seedpods.
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vɪtˌlif