Sida acuta Burm. f.

Sida species annual, perennial herbs, undershrubs or shrubs. Stems erect or procumbent, stem and branches pubescent with stellate and glandular hairs or glabrous. Leaves alternate, simple rarely lobed, lanceolate-ovate to obovate-elliptic, base obtuse to cuneate, margins entire, serrate-dentate or lobed, apex acute to acuminate, petiolate, stipulate. Inflorescence usually axillary solitary, paired or terminal panicles or racemes, by the reduction of upper leaves. Flowers bisexual, pedicel slender, jointed above the middle, epicalyx absent, calyx 5 lobed or toothed, campanulate or cupular, usually plicate in bud, corolla showy, yellow, cream white, base connate, adnate to stamina column. Staminal column shorter than petals, glabrous or hairy, anthers basifixed, towards apex. Ovary 5-14 carpellate, ovules 1 per locule, style 1 per carpel, stigma capitate. Fruit indehiscent or partly dehiscent by middle dorsal line, rarely by lateral or basal walls when dried, schizocarp, oblate or discoid, minutely pubescent or glabrous, mericarps 5-10, reniform, smooth or reticulate, minutely stellate pubescent. Seed 1 in each mericarp, ovoid to reniform, glabrous or minutely hairy.

Herb

Flowering class: Dicot Habit: Herb

Flowering and fruiting: August-October

Sida species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects, or cleistogamy i.e., by self or allogamy i.e., by cross pollination. Flowering/Fruiting: September—May.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., wind dispersal, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals, anthropochory i.e., dispersal by humans.

Annual herbs or undershrubs, erect, about 0.5-2 m tall. Stems and branches pubescent with minute stellate and simple hairs, ultimately glabrescent when mature. Leaves alternate, simple rarely lobed, linear lanceolate to ovate-elliptic, about 1.5-10 x 0.5-2.5 cm across, base acute to obtuse, 3 veined, margins entire, coarsely serrate, apex acute to acuminate, sparsely pubescent with minute stellate and simple hairs, soon becoming glabrescent, petiole subsessile, hairy with minute stellate hairs, about 2-6 mm long, stipules linear lanceolate, filiform, each pair different, 3-6 nerved to 1-4 nerved, about 6-12 mm long. Inflorescence usually axillary solitary, paired or 2-8 in terminal clusters, by the reduction of upper leaves. Flowers bisexual, pedicel pilose, articulate near middle, about 5-7 mm long, epicalyx absent, calyx 5 lobed or 5 fid, campanulate, about 5-6 mm across, slightly accrescent, lobes triangular, apex acuminate, glabrous inside, pubescent with stellate and simple hairs inside, about 7 x 3 mm across, corolla showy, yellow, pale yellow, base connate, adnate to stamina column, petals almost or slightly longer than calyx lobes, obovate, margins ciliate, apex shallow emarginate. Staminal column shorter than petals, about 4 mm long, hairy with glandular hairs, anthers basifixed, towards apex. Ovary ovoid, about 1.5 mm across, ovules 1 per locule, style 1 per carpel, stigma capitate. Fruit indehiscent or partly dehiscent by middle dorsal line, rarely by lateral or basal walls when dried, schizocarp, oblate or discoid, minutely pubescent, mericarps 6-10, reniform, reticulate, slightly tetrahedral, minutely stellate pubescent, about 4 mm long, awns about 1.5 mm long. Seed 1 in each mericarp, ovoid to reniform, about 2 mm across, glabrous or minutely hairy near hilium, dark brown.

Leaves 0.4-7.6x0.3-5cm, ovate , cordate, apex acute, serrate, 5-6-nerved; petioles 1-25mm; stipules 1-3mm linear, hairy.

Sida species are susceptible to various insect pests, virus and fungi, affecting leaves, fruits and roots.

Notes: Dry and Moist deciduous forest

Open and shaded places, roadsides and waste places, altitude up to 1200 m.

Wastelands, roadsides

Dry and moist deciduous forests, also in the plains

Common

Not evaluated (IUCN).

Threats recoded

It is found growing wild in the tropical forest

Used in Ayurvedic, Sidha and folk medicines.

Medicinal