OK. I keep reading and I've changed my mind again.
. My abutilon branch is too small for air layering. The rooting occurs on semi soft, green wood. And from what I understand it is not in the "difficult to root" category. From this website:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu...
"On woody plants, stems of pencil size or larger are best. The stem may be much thicker on the more herbaceous plants."