Sida ovata Forssk.

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

Morphology General Habit

Suberect suffrutex up to c. 50 cm. tall, densely grey- or grey-green-tomentose; branches sometimes decumbent; stems terete or somewhat angular when young, wiry, at length glabrescent and somewhat woody.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina 10–35 × 6–25 mm., elliptic, ovate, oblong or somewhat obovate to suborbicular, apex obtuse to rounded, margin rather coarsely serrate-crenate, base usually cuneate to rounded, both surfaces densely grey-green-tomentose, the lower surface slightly paler and usually with longer hairs; petiole 2–10 mm. long, tomentose; stipules filiform, often somewhat patent, tomentose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers yellow, axillary, solitary or occasionally 2–3-fasciculate, subsessile or pedicellate; pedicels up to 5 (9) mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx c. 6 mm. long, subglobose-campanulate, 10-ribbed, tomentose, lobed to about the middle; lobes broad, subacute to shortly apiculate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals not much exceeding the calyx.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps 7–8, c. 4 mm. long, birostrate, separating at dehiscence, dorsally rugulose and very faintly cross-veined, laterally reticulate-striate; awns 2, c. 1 mm. long, often connivent, setaceous, pungent.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds c. 2 × 1·5 mm., rather tumid, nearly smooth, glabrous.

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit

Erect to decumbent perennial herb or shrublet, up to 75 cm tall; stems densely pubescent to tomentose, sometimes also with scattered long simple hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves with 2–12 mm long petiole; blade 1–5.5(–7.5) x 0.6–3.7(–5) cm, cuneate to rounded or truncate at the base, subacute to retuse at the apex, with serrate-crenate margins, pubescent to tomentose, more densely so beneath

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers axillary, solitary or paired; pedicels 2–30 mm long, articulated above middle

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5–9 mm long, 10-ribbed at the base, tomentose outside, puberulous inside on lobes only, enclosing the ripe fruit

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals (5–)8–11 mm long, yellow to orange or sometimes white, erect when open

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps 7–9, 3–3.5 mm long, with a pair of up to 1 mm long puberulous beaks, rugose to reticulate on the back, reticulate-striate on the sides.

Distribution

N1–3; C2; S1–3; widespread in the drier parts of tropical and southern Africa, also in Arabia and eastwards to India.

Ecology

Altitude range 60–1530 m.

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation

Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident

Malvaceae, Bernard Verdcourt & Geoffrey Mwachala. Pavonia, B Verdcourt; Kosteletzkya, OJ Blanchard Jr.; Gossypium, P Fryxell & B Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Type

Type: Yemen, Wadid Surdud, Forsskål 1728 (C, lecto.)

Morphology General Habit

Erect or spreading rather woody herb or subshrub 0.2–1.2 m tall, finely to densely pubescent and sometimes with long simple hairs

Morphology Leaves

Leaves usually ± round to elliptic, less often oblong, 1–5.5(–7.5) × 1–4(–5) cm wide, retuse to subacute at the apex, rounded at base, dentate; petiole 0.3–1.2 cm long; stipules linear-lanceolate, 3–5 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary or sometimes paired; pedicel 0.2–1.5(–3) cm long, usually short, rarely some longer ones towards base; calyx 5–9 mm long, 10-ribbed at base; lobes triangular, 2.5–5 mm long, acute

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Corolla white or pale yellow to orange; petals (5–)8–11 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal column densely stellate-pubescent

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps 7–8(–9), 3–3.5 mm long, puberulous to pubescent and glandular, dorsally rugose to ± reticulately sculptured, laterally weakly to distinctly sculptured, the margins distinct, muricate; awns 2, up to 1 mm long.

Ecology

Grassland (often overgrazed), grassland with scattered Acacia, Olea etc; Acacia– Commiphora–Tarchonanthus–Salvadora bushland and thicket on gravelly, sandy-alluvial, hard pan and black cotton soils; often in rocky places, wadi edges, also a weed in pasture and old cultivations; 5–2350 m

Note

Vollesen includes in his synonymy S. abyssinica Hochst. ex Dietr. (Syn. Pl. 4: 359 (1847)) with Schimper III: 1453 (K, P) from Ethiopia, Djeladjeranne as type but Dietrich does not mention Hochstetter or Schimper but cites S. patens Andr. (see under Abutilon p. 139) of which S. abyssinica must be an illegitimate synonym.

Distribution

Flora districts: U1 U2 U3 K1 K2 K3 K4 K6 K7 T1 T2 T3 T4 T5 T6 T7 Range: Widespread in drier areas of tropical Africa and South Africa extending to Egypt, Arabia and India, Iran and Pakistan