Abutilon Indicum

Abutilon - History

The Abutilon genus of plants has been known since old times. Botanical listings and gardening manuals stretching back through the 18th century commonly mention Abutilon. The earliest mention of Abutilon indicum I can find is in the 1694 Elemens de botanique, ou methode pour connoître les plantes, Volume 1 ("Elements of Botany, or Method for Knowing Plants") of Joesph Pitton de Tournefort. The Abutilon genus is mentioned all the way back to the Hortus Patavinus of Melchior Guilandinus and Johann G. Schenck, dated 1608 - and this indicates that this has been a common, well known plant since ancient days.

According to The Vegetable Materia Medica of Western India by William Dymock [4], and other sources, Abutilon was described by Avicenna (aka Ibn Sina, the great Persian scholar of c. 980-1037 A.D. [5]) However, Dymock states that the Abutilun of Avicenna was like a Pumpkin, and so clearly not A. indicum!

As for references to the plant being aphrodisiac; the plant does not find itself listed as aphrodisiac as commonly as some of the other plants investigated. In many of the botanical and pharmacological cataogues of the 19th century, Abutilon indicum is described as mucilaginous and diuretic. The earliest reference I can find to it being aphrodisiac is in the 1899 Dictionary of the Economic Products of India: Abaca to Buxus by Edgar Thurston, T. N. Mukharji; the seeds are reckoned aphrodisiac. [6]

As with some other plants, all of a sudden in the latter part of the 20th century, Abutilon indicum is listed in many places as aphrodisiac. It appears that the main source for this information may be the Indian Materia Medica [7], Volume 1 by K. M. Nadkarni. This was first published in 1908, with editions in 1927 and 1954 - and must have been a popular reference, having been reprinted many times. It is a serious work, spanning over 1,300 pages, listing over 2,600 items and giving names of medicinal plants etc. in many regional dialects. The Indian Materia Medica states that the leaves of A. indicum are aphrodisiac - but makes no mention of the seeds.

Is Abutilon an Aphrodisiac?

Abutilon indicum has been the subject of some scientific study. A search of Pubmed showed that the plant has been investigated for medicinal and other properties ranging from hepatoprotectant through to mosquito larvicide [8] - and it would appear to be a useful plant. However, no scientific investigation of aphrodisiac qualities ascribed to the plant are listed. Abutilon indicum obviously has some ancient reputation as having aphrodisiac qualities - but until further research is done, the aphrodisiac properties of the plant remain in the domain of traditional herbal medicine and anecdotal evidence.

Abutilon indicum is listed in the AHPA's "Herbs of Commerce", p.3. [9]