Sida cordifolia |
Sida neomexicana |
|
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bala, country mallow, flannel weed, great-leaf sida, heart-leaf sida, ilima |
New Mexico fanpetals, New Mexico sida |
|
Habit | Subshrubs or shrubs, to 1.5 m. | Herbs or subshrubs, perennial, usually less than 0.5 m, freely branching from base. |
Stems | erect, stellate-tomentose. |
erect, stellate-puberulent. |
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. |
stipules free from petiole, 1-veined, linear to falcate, 5–7 mm, 1/2–1 times length of petiole; petiole 2–10 mm, to 1/4 length of blade, obscurely puberulent; blade narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 2–4.5 cm, 6–15 times longer than wide, base truncate, margins dentate to base, apex acute, surfaces sparsely hairy abaxially, glabrous adaxially. |
Inflorescences | axillary, usually subsessile, crowded panicles or corymbs, sometimes solitary flowers. |
axillary, solitary flowers, usually congested apically. |
Pedicels | 0.2–0.4 cm, enlarging slightly in fruit, shorter than calyx. |
usually to 1 cm, subequal to calyx, much shorter than subtending leaf. |
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. |
calyx ribbed, 6–7 mm, minutely hairy, lobes triangular; petals yellow-orange to reddish, sometimes drying lavender, 10–12 mm; style 10–12-branched. |
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). |
oblate, 6–7 mm diam., apically puberulent; mericarps 10–12, 3 mm, obscurely reticulate laterally, apex muticous. |
2n | = 28. |
= ca. 14. |
Sida cordifolia |
Sida neomexicana |
|
Phenology | Flowering year-round. | Flowering late summer. |
Habitat | Disturbed sites, savannas, open shrublands, pinelands | Open, arid habitats |
Elevation | 0–300 m (0–1000 ft) | 400–2400 m (1300–7900 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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AZ; NM; TX; Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango)
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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.) |
Sida neomexicana resembles S. ciliaris in several respects, especially in the congested terminal inflorescences resulting from shorter internodes. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 6, p. 313. | FNA vol. 6, p. 316. |
Parent taxa | Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sida | Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sida |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | S. althaeifolia, S. pellita | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 684. (1753) | A. Gray: Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 22: 296. (1887) |
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