322 XXVI. MALVACE^. (Maxwell T. Masters.) [Sida. 



4. SIDA, Linn. 



■ Herbs or undershrubs. Leaves simple or lobed. £racteoles 0. Calyx of 

 5 valvate sepals, tubular below. Corolla of 5 petals, free above, connate 

 below and adnata to the tube of the stamens. Staminal-tvhe dividing at 

 the summit into numerous anther-bearing filaments. Carpds 5 or more,- 

 ■whorled; styles as many as the carpels, stigmas terminal. Ripe carpeh 

 sieparating from the axis, generally 2-awned at the summit, and dehiscing 

 irregularly or by a small chink. Seed solitary, pendulous or horizontal; 

 radicle superior.— Disteib. A genus of about 80 species, most of them 

 being tropical weeds; 



* Herhaceovs, often trailing. 



1. S. humilis, WUld. ; DC. Prodr. i. 463; a trailing herb, leaves sub- 

 Orbicular-cordate acute serrate slightly hairy, carpels 5 sometimes awned. 

 ijav. Diss. V. t. 134, f. '2, ; Roxh. Fl. Ind. iii. 171 ; Thwaites Enum. 28 ; 

 Dah. <k Gibs. Bomb. Fl. 17'; Wall. Cai. 1854, 1, 2, 3, D ; W. <Ss A. Prodr. i. 

 59 ; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. i. pt. 2, 140. S. unilociilaris, L'Eer. Stirp. t. 56. 

 S. pilosa, Reiz, not of Cav. ex W. & A. l.c:; WalL^CaU 1854, E. S. radicans. 

 Wall. Cat. 1854 G. S. raulticauKs, Cav. Diss. i. 10, t. 1, f. 6 j DC. l.c. 

 S. nervosa, Wall. Cat. 1853, not of DC. 



Generally distributed throughout the hotter parts of India. Disteib. Tropical Africa 

 and America. 



Very variable. Stem usually procumbent, branching, covered, like the leaves, with 

 a few scattered radiating hairs ; petiole rather shorter than the blade. Tedundes 

 jointed in the middle, distant or arranged in a loose raceme. Flowers axillary, soli- 

 dary or twin. Calyx-segments triangular, very acute. Corolla straw-coloured, scarcely 

 ixceeding the calyx. Carpels 5, muticous or shortly bicuspidate. — The specimens vary 

 so much in quality of pubescence, length of carpellary awns, &c., that I find it difBcuit 

 to determine the following varieties with accuracy. 



Vak. 1. morifolia, Cav. Diss. i. 9, t. 1, f. 1 (sp.); carpels slightly mucronate. — Wall. 

 Cat. 1853 B, E. 



Var. 2. veroriicoefolia, Lam. Diet. n. 11 (ep.) ; carpels with two longishawns. — Cav. 

 Diss. i. 7, t. 1, f. 3 and 5 ; Wall. Cat. 1853 D. 



2. S. mysorensls, W. <Sc A. Prodr. i. 59 ; herbaceous, covered with 

 glutinous hairs, leaves cordate-ovate acuminate, peduncles shorter than the 

 petioles, carpels 5 awned keeled. Thwaites Enum. 28. S. hirta. Wall. Cat. 

 1855. not of Lam. S. urticsefolia, W.& A. l.c. S. nervosa, TTa^i Cat, 1853 E. 

 S. olens, Ham. in Wall. Cat. 1874. S. glutinosa, Roxh. Hort. Beng, 97 ; Fl. 

 Ind. iii. 172; Wall. Cat. 1855, not of Cav. S. tenax. Ham. in W. & A. 

 Prodr. i. l.c. ;_ Wall. Cat. 1856, E, F. ? S. radicans, Cav. Diss. i. p. 8; W. 

 tL- A. Prodr. i. 59.—R/ieede Hort. Mai. x. 69. 



Bhotax, Tenassekim, Coromandel, Mysore, Concan, Ceyloh. 



A herb or uudershrub 1-2 ft. high. Leaves 24 by 2 in., coarsely toothed, downy be- 

 neath ; petiole 1^ in. JPeduncle jointed in the middle. Flowers scarcely 4 in. diam. 

 — Perhaps not specifically distinct from S. humilis. 



** Siifrutescent (except S. corylifolia) erect or rarely procumbent,. 



3. S. Schimperiana, Hochst. in Rich. Fl. Abyss, i. 66 ; perennial,- 

 shrubby, branches repeatedly forked, leaves oblong retuse base cuneate, 

 carpels 5 subglobose beaks short connivent. Mast, in Oliv. Fl. Trop. Afr. i. 

 180. Sida cuneifolia, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 170. Dictyocarpus truncatus, Wight 

 in Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 2, xi. 169; Madras Journ. Lit. & Sc. v. t. 19. Melo- 

 chia truncata and Hermaniiia alnifolia, Watt. Cat. 1196 K. 



