Sida hoepfneri Gürke

Malvaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit

Erect annual or perhaps perennial herb, 0·5–1·75 m. tall, woody at the base, branched throughout but not much branched at the base, densely and shortly tomentose-subvelutinous with a whitish, yellowish, greenish-white, greyish-yellow or pale greyish-green indumentum on the younger parts of the stems, stipules, petioles, pedicels and outside of calyx; stems terete, wiry, purplish-grey to brownish, longitudinally fissured, ultimately glabrous.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina 6 (7) × 0·5–3·5 cm., usually oblong or ovate-oblong to broadly elliptic, apex rounded or obtuse or occasionally acute to somewhat acuminate, margin distinctly and sometimes rather coarsely serrate or crenate-serrate or ± doubly serrate, shortly and densely tomentose on both surfaces with an indumentum coloured like that of the stems, upper surface occasionally ± glabrescent, veins usually ± impressed on the upper surface and prominent on the lower surface; petiole 5 (8)-15 (25) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers white to pale yellow (occasionally golden), solitary, axillary; pedicels 1·5–5 (7) cm. long, usually slender, terete, articulated at or above the middle.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx (6) 8–11 mm. long, cupuliform, glabrous inside except for a narrow marginal tomentose zone, divided to about the middle; lobes triangular to ovate-triangular, acute to ± acuminate, sometimes distinctly 3-nerved but more usually with only the raised median nerve conspicuous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals (14) 18–22 mm. long, with the narrow base ± fimbriate, glabrous or finely pubescent inside (mainly towards apex).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube glabrous or with sparse rather coarsely stellate hairs.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps (7) 8–10, c. 6 mm. long, brown, muticous, rounded or minutely apiculate but not awned at the apex, usually stellate-pubescent at least in the upper part, dorsally finely rugose, laterally conspicuously reticulate with usually yellowish slightly raised ridges.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds ovoid, brown, glabrous except for the often tomentose or velutinous area around the hilum.