This plant is a volunteer - no idea how or where it came from. It is growing in a pot from which I was not growing anything this year. I had not seen this anywhere near. The leaves are soft and velvety. The flower does not last for more than 3 hours. Opens late and closes too soon. I missed capturing it thrice. Fourth time, I did not miss. Pictures of bud, leaf and seed pod [flat seeds arranged in a circle] shown. Any idea if this is a gardener's plant or considered a weed? Which one?

Maybe Abutilon indicum or close?

Hi Daisy.... why 'may be'? Indeed this is the one!! Exact.
Many thanks for identifying this. Will save seeds also and ask some Ayurvedic practitioner here for more information on this, if they are familiar. I checked a couple of websites mentioning the plant's valued properties as a home remedy also. I really do not know how it landed here.

Oh, so pretty and indeed it does appear to be Indian Mallow (Abutilon indicum)

What also tallied was that the flower opens in the evening and closes up quickly, the soft leaves. I will have to move it out of the pot where it is growing. When I saw the seedling the shape of the leaves made me curious and when it became a bit taller, the velvety feel of the leaf made me even more curious. So I let it grow. I may have to shift it to the ground as I read it is a small shrub.

Dinu said:Hi Daisy.... why 'may be'?

I was uncomfortable with the shape of the seed pod but thought perhaps you had taken a photo of an immature one so went with that ID.

Daisy..... I did take a photo of a slightly mature pod, I think.... but anyway you came up with the perfect ID.

This does appear to be the indicum species to me. It's not velvet leaf because here the immature pod is rounded.

And only 3 1/2 years late to the party.