Sida rhombifolia
Family
Malvaceae
Synonyms
Sida retusa L.
Vernacular Names
| Malaysia | Sendaguri, seleguri padang, bunga padang (Peninsular). |
| English | Queensland hemp, Cuba jute, arrowleaf sida. |
| Indonesia | Sadagori (Sundanese), sidaguri (Sumatra, Java), taghuri (Madurese). |
| Papua New Guinea | Sipuni (Kurereda, Northern Province), sihuhu (Hegata, Oro Province), irimo irimo (Papa, Central Province). |
| Philippines | Ualis-haba (Tagalog), basbasot (Iloko), baseng-baseng (Bisaya). |
| Laos | Nha kat mone. |
| Thailand | Khatmon (Central), yaa khat (Northern), yaa pat mae maai (Bangkok). |
| Vietnam | K[es] hoa v[af]ng, k[es] d[oof]ng ti[eef]n, b[aj]ch d[ows]i. |
Geographical Distributions
This herb is widely distributed in the tropics as a weed.
Description
This is an erect or semi-procumbent, much-branched herb or shrub up to 30-150 cm tall, with tough and hairy stems.
The leaves are rhomboid to oblong and broadest around the middle. The apex is narrowed to notch at the extremity, surfaces green, or grey underneath. The stalk is 2-4 cm long while stipules are equal.
The flowers are solitary or in clusters of 2-5, individual flower stalk are 30-40 mm long, with 7-12 mm long oblique, yellow petals.
The part of fruit are 8-12, flattened three-angled size 2.5 mm long, awns 0-2, 1-3 mm long, hairless or star-shaped hairy. Two subspecies are distinguished, subspecies rhombifolia, with an erect habit, rhomboid or lance-shaped leaves. The individual flower stalk is much longer than leaf stalk and petal is 15-17 mm in diametre. The second subspecies, retusa (L.) Borss. Waalk., is with a prostrate habit, reverse egg-shaped, often notched at the extremity leaves, individual flower stalk as long as leaf stalk and the petal is 20-25 mm in diametre. Because of the differences between the two subspecies some authors recognize them at species level.
Ecology / Cultivation
S. rhombifolia is common along roadsides, lawns, waste places, coconut plantations and scattered in grassy plains, from sea-level to 1200 m altitude.
Line Drawing / Photograph
References
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Plant Resources of South-East Asia No 12(2): Medicinal and poisonous plants 2.
