Prickly Sida, Sida spinosa
Family: Malvaceae; Mallow Family
Vegetative Characteristics:
Seedling: cotyledons smooth to rough, cordate with small notch at tip; true leaves alternate, ovate to triangular, margins serrate throughout
Stems: erect, 0.2-1.0 m tall, much-branched, softly pubescent, commonly with short spinelike projection at base of each blade
Leaves: alternate, 2.0-5.0 cm long, 1.0-2.0 cm wide, simple, lanceolate to oval, margins serrate; petiole 1.0-3.0 cm long, one-third or more times as long as leaf blade
Reproductive Characteristics:
Inflorescences: solitary or clustered in leaf axils, 1-flowered; petals 5, 4.0-6.0 mm long, pale yellow, penduncles shorter than subtending leaf petiole
Fruits: capsule with 5 carpels, splitting into 5 one-seeded segments at maturity, with 2 sharp, spreading spines at top
Seeds: triangular, 1.0-3.0 mm long, somwhat obovate, brown or reddish brown, 5 per capsule
Special Identifying Features:
⇒ erect, much branched annual; cotyledons cordate with small notch at tip; short, spinelike projection at base of each leaf; leaf margins serrate through-out; puduncles short; petioles long
