Native Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and enzyme activity staining were used to identify possible progenitor species of velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti Medic. # ABUTH). Multiple forms of superoxide dismutase activity were observed in each of the plants surveyed. Three enzyme forms were common to all the species and bio types while one form was different in the velvetleaf biotypes compared to the other species. Multiple forms of peroxidase activity were also detected. The three velvetleaf biotypes possessed identical enzyme forms with minimal similarity to peroxidase forms found in the other species. Multiple forms of esterase activity separated as two nonoverlapping groups. A slowly migrating group was observed in all the velvetleaf biotypes and a more rapidly migrating group characterized the remaining Abutilon species. The results of this study indicated that the progenitors of velvetleaf were not among the species surveyed and suggested that the progenitors may no longer be extant.
