Sida cordifolia |
Sida |
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bala, country mallow, flannel weed, great-leaf sida, heart-leaf sida, ilima |
fanpetals, wireweed |
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Habit | Subshrubs or shrubs, to 1.5 m. | Herbs, annual or perennial, subshrubs, or shrubs. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stems | erect, stellate-tomentose. |
erect, ascending, or reclining to procumbent, glabrous or hairy, sometimes viscid (S. glabra). |
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Leaves | stipules free from petiole, 1-veined, linear, 5–8 mm, shorter than petiole; petiole 10–25 mm, to 1/2 length of blade, stellate-tomentose; blade broadly cordate to ovate-lanceolate, to 6 cm, reduced distally, 1–2 times longer than wide, base cordate, margins dentate to base, apex acute, surfaces softly velvety-tomentose. |
spirally arranged (distichous in S. planicaulis and S. ulmifolia), petiolate or subsessile; stipules persistent, usually linear to lanceolate or falcate; blade usually unlobed (lobed with maplelike leaves in S. hermaphrodita), base cuneate, cordate, subcordate, truncate, or rounded, margins crenate, dentate, serrate, or entire. |
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Inflorescences | axillary, usually subsessile, crowded panicles or corymbs, sometimes solitary flowers. |
axillary solitary (sometimes paired or clustered) often plicate in bud, usually 1/2 divided, often 10-ribbed at base (unribbed in S. hermaphrodita) or angulate, lobes acute or acuminate to triangular or ovate; corolla white, cream, yellow, yellow-orange, salmon-pink, red-orange, or reddish [purplish], sometimes with dark-red center; staminal column included; style 5–14-branched; stigmas capitate. |
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Pedicels | 0.2–0.4 cm, enlarging slightly in fruit, shorter than calyx. |
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Flowers | calyx prominently ribbed, 6–7 mm, densely stellate-tomentose, lobes ovate; petals yellow-orange, often with darker reddish base, 8–11 mm; staminal column hairy; style 8–14-branched. |
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Fruits | developed or muticous, reticulate, glabrous or hairy, lateral walls usually persistent, indehiscent below with well-differentiated dorsal wall, indehiscent or partially dehiscent apically. |
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Seeds | 1 per mericarp, glabrous. |
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Schizocarps | oblate-conic, 6–7 mm diam., apically hairy; mericarps 8–14, 4–5 mm, dorsally smooth, apex spined, spines to 2 mm, retrorsely barbed (variably developed, rarely suppressed). |
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x | = 7, 8. |
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2n | = 28. |
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Sida cordifolia |
Sida |
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Phenology | Flowering year-round. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Habitat | Disturbed sites, savannas, open shrublands, pinelands | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elevation | 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Distribution |
AL; FL; TX; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Africa, Australia]
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North America; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies; Asia; Africa; Australia; warm-temperate and tropical areas |
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Discussion | A velvety-tomentose herb sometimes used in herbal medicines, Sida cordifolia is believed to have originated in India, but has been widely spread in warmer regions globally. In many areas it is considered to be an invasive weed. There is considerable variation in the flower color patterns; the velvety-tomentose indument and retrorsely barbed, relatively large or conspicuous spines can help in identification. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Species ca. 150 (19 in the flora). In the flora area, Sida linifolia Cavanilles, flax-leaved sida, is known from a single collection (Alabama, Mobile, introduced from West Indies on ballast, Sep 1886, Mohr s.n., F) and treated here as a waif; it is distinguished from other sidas in North America by its entire leaf margins. Sida cordata (Burman f.) Borssum Waalkes has been reported in Maryland (Baltimore City); it is a generally prostrate herb with cordate leaves and filiform pedicels that are nearly the same length as the leaves; no vouchers have been found; if it was present, it can be regarded as a waif. Reports of S. aggregata K. Presl, a variable and rather common Neotropical species, have not been verified; no vouchers have been located. Sida acuta Burman f. and S. carpinifolia Linnaeus f. are names often used for ballast specimens of plants found in temperate seaports that have not persisted. Most sidas have apical spines on the fruits that adhere to fur, wool, and clothing, and therefore it may be difficult to pinpoint their native ranges versus the areas to which they have been introduced. Some are considered to be pan-tropical roadside weeds. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 313. | FNA vol. 6, p. 310. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parent taxa | Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sida | Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Synonyms | S. althaeifolia, S. pellita | Dictyocarpus, Malvinda, Pseudomalachra | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 684. (1753) | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 683. (1753): Gen. Pl. ed. 5, 306. (1754) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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