White velvetleaf
Wissadula periplocifolia

Family: Malvaceae

What it is like

Wissadula periplocifolia is an evergreen Perennial growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) by 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 10. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Thickets near sea level, dry slopes, roadsides. Moist thickets, wet forest, and brushy slopes in tropical America.

Tropical areas of the Americas and Asia.

Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed

Countries/locations it is found in

Pantropical. Cultivated as a fibre crop in India and Sri Lanka.

How it is used

Food

Rating: 0

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 3

An excellent fibre is obtained from the bark. The stems strip well and readily and the bark 'retts' out, leaving a fine fibre of a type to compete with jute (Corchorus spp.).

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Coppice: Cut to the ground repeatedly - resprouting vigorously. Non-destructive management systems maintaining the soil organic carbon.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Tropical and sub-tropical humid climate. The plant thrives magnificently in barren and rocky soils. It is estimated that as much as 1 tonne of stripped bark can be obtained from a hectare, and that from 25 - 40% of cleaned fibre could be obtained from this. Plants growing very near to each other will produce very tall stems, say from 3 - 3.6 metres tall and straight, but those that happen to grow far apart will send out side branches and make lower growth with shorter, less useful fibres.

Propagating it: Seed

Best place to grow:

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 10-12

Growth: Fast

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Dry, moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Bulung-bulung pager (eastern Sumatra), nyung-nyungan (Kangean). khaao tom, chan nok, se-saa-boh Thailand).

Synonyms

Abutilon periplocifolium (L.) Sweet Sida periplocifolia L. Wissadula zeylanica Medik.