Sida lancifolia Burtt Davy

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

Morphology General Habit

Erect, somewhat virgate or low and much-branched (after burning or grazing) annual or biennial suffrutex up to c. 1 m. tall, usually sparsely and finely stellate-pubescent on vegetative parts and calyx, occasionally either nearly glabrous or more densely pubescent; stems usually stiff or wiry when young, green, terete, ultimately glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina 2–7 × 0·5–3·5 cm., ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate or ovate, often somewhat rhombic, apex somewhat narrowed and acute, margin sharply and rather coarsely serrate, base rounded to obtuse; petiole up to 10 (15) mm. long, stellate-pubescent and often with longer soft hairs at the apex; stipules setaceous to linear, caducous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow to orange, axillary; pedicels usually 4–6 (8) cm. long, occasionally shorter, articulated in the upper 9 mm.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5–8 mm. long, angular owing to the raised commissural lines of the lobes, thinly papyraceous, green, divided to about the middle; lobes triangular, acute to apiculate, finely stellate-pubescent or stellate-puberulous mainly along the margins and on the median veins.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals 9–11 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps (6) 7 (8), c. 2·5 mm. long, truncate at the apex, muticous, usually with a short shallow longitudinal groove at the ventral apical angle, smooth (somewhat wrinkled when immature at time of drying), usually with sparse many-rayed hairs especially at the apex.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 2 mm. long, black, ovoid-reniform, smooth, glabrous except for the area of the hilum.