The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

false or Indian or prickly mallow, prickly fanpetals, prickly sida

bala, country mallow, flannel weed, great-leaf sida, heart-leaf sida, ilima

Habit Subshrubs or herbs, annual or perennial, 0.2–1 m, rarely taller. Subshrubs or shrubs, to 1.5 m.
Stems

erect, minutely stellate-hairy, hairs to 0.5 mm.

erect, stellate-tomentose.

Leaves

stipules free from petiole, 1-veined, subulate, 3–6 mm, 1/2 as long as petiole;

petiole 5–15 mm, usually 1/4–1/2 length of blade, sometimes shorter, minutely stellate-hairy, hairs to 0.5 mm, usually with small spinelike tubercle on stem just below its attachment;

blade ovate, lanceolate, or narrowly oblong, 2–6 cm, smaller apically, 2–5 times longer than wide, base subcordate, margins crenate-serrate to base, apex usually acute, surfaces stellate-tomentulose abaxially, glabrate adaxially.

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.

Inflorescences

axillary solitary or 2–4 clustered flowers.

axillary, usually subsessile, crowded panicles or corymbs, sometimes solitary flowers.

Pedicels

0.5–1 cm, subequal to calyx and subtending petiole.

0.2–0.4 cm, enlarging slightly in fruit, shorter than calyx.

Flowers

calyx angulate, 5–7 mm, minutely tomentose, lobes triangular;

petals yellow, rarely white, 5 mm;

staminal column glabrous;

style 5-branched.

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.

Schizocarps

subconic, 4–5 mm diam., hairy;

mericarps 5, 3–4 mm, somewhat rugose, apex spined, spines 1 mm, antrorsely hairy.

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).

2n

= 14, 28.

= 28.

Sida spinosa

Sida cordifolia

Phenology Flowering year-round in warmer areas, summer elsewhere. Flowering year-round.
Habitat Roadsides, pastures, disturbed ground Disturbed sites, savannas, open shrublands, pinelands
Elevation 0–1500 m (0–4900 ft) 0–300 m (0–1000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; DC; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NE; NJ; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WV; ON; Mexico; Central America; South America; West Indies
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; FL; TX; Asia [Introduced in North America; introduced also in Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Africa, Australia]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

A small spur sometimes is present on the abaxial side of the petiole at the juncture with the stem, to which the specific epithet refers. It is not a spine and occasionally is absent.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

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.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 318. FNA vol. 6, p. 313.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sida Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sida
Sibling taxa
S. abutilifolia, S. antillensis, S. ciliaris, S. cordifolia, S. elliottii, S. glabra, S. hermaphrodita, S. lindheimeri, S. littoralis, S. longipes, S. neomexicana, S. planicaulis, S. rhombifolia, S. rubromarginata, S. santaremensis, S. tragiifolia, S. ulmifolia, S. urens
S. abutilifolia, S. antillensis, S. ciliaris, S. elliottii, S. glabra, S. hermaphrodita, S. lindheimeri, S. littoralis, S. longipes, S. neomexicana, S. planicaulis, S. rhombifolia, S. rubromarginata, S. santaremensis, S. spinosa, S. tragiifolia, S. ulmifolia, S. urens
Synonyms S. alba, S. alnifolia, S. angustifolia, S. heterocarpa S. althaeifolia, S. pellita
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 683. (1753) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 2: 684. (1753)
Web links