Abuta velutina is a species of flowering plant in the family Menispermaceae. It is native to a broad area of South America.
Abuta velutina is a tree or climbing plant, with velvety branches, subleathery leaves and obliquely ellipsoid fruits.
The species was described in 1931. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Taxonomy Henry A. Gleason described Abuta velutina in 1931.
Distribution Abuta velutina is native to the wet tropical biome of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. Its estimated extent of occurrence is .
Description Abuta velutina is a climber, or a tree around high. The smaller branches are straight, somewhat cylindrical, and thinly velvety.
The leaves are subleathery, approximately oval-shaped, long, and wide when mature. The leaf stems are slender, swollen at the base and apex, and long.
The inflorescences have fifteen to twenty flowers. The flower stalks are woody, and long. The fruits are obliquely ellipsoid in shape, grey and velvety. The fruits are long.
Abuta velutina resembles Abuta imene, but the former has broader leaves.
Conservation In 2023, the IUCN assessed Abuta velutina as of Least Concern. It has a large, stable, population, and faces no major threats. The species is present in protected areas.
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