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Sida spinosa

L. (1753)

This name is accepted

Kingdom: Viridiplantae Phylum: Magnoliophyta Class/Clade: Eudicot-Rosids Order: Malvales Family: Malvaceae Genus: Sida

prickly sida

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Description

Key Characters:

Growth Form: Erect annual or perennial herbs 0.5-0.8 m tall, copiously but minutely stellate puberulent, eventually glabrate.

Stems:

Roots:

Leaves: Leaves simple. Alternate. Blades linear to narrowly oblong or ovate, 1-5 cm long. Base obtuse to truncate. Upper surfaces glabrate; lower surfaces stellate-tomentulose. Margins serrate to crenate. Petioles usually 1/2 or less the length of blades. Stipules filiform, 2-5 mm long, each subtended by a short tubercle.

Flowers: Flowers solitary or in clusters, often somewhat corymbose toward the ends of the branches, pedicels slender, 0.2-2.5 cm long; involucel absent. Flowers bisexual (perfect). Calyx strongly 10-ribbed, 4-7 mm long. Corolla actinomorphic to moderately zygomorphic, rotate to campanulate, corolla of 5 petals, obovate, pale yellow to yellowish orange, 5-6(-7) mm long, distinct from each other but adnate at base to staminal column, convolute in bud. Stamens 5 to numerous, monadelphous, forming a staminal column; staminal column included, terminated by filaments; anthers monothecal. Pollen globose, echinate. Ovary superior, (1-)3-celled to many-celled, the carpels borne in a single whorl or rarely seemingly superposed whorls, placentation axile, carpels usually 5-10 or numerous; ovules 1 per carpel, pendulous; style exceeding the staminal column, unbranched and stigmatically lobed at apex or branched, branches as many as carpels; stigmas capitate.

Fruit: Schizocarp; mericarps 5;3-4 mm long; 1-seeded; grading apically into 2 antrorsely pubescent awns 0.5-1.5 mm long; lower dorsal and lateral walls strongly reticulate; apical surfaces smooth; puberulent; indehiscent; upper 1/3 dehiscent; each valve smooth; usually acute or apically spined. Seeds trigonous-obovoid; ca. 1.5 mm long; glabrous or with a few hairs around the hilum; with or without endosperm.

Ploidy: 2n = 14; 28

Habitat: Open disturbed areas including pastures; roadsides and former agricultural areas.

Elevation Range: 2–533 m.

Historical Distribution

Images

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Uses and Culture

USES

Natural History

Statewide Status

Naturalized

Island Status

Kuaihelani (Midway Atoll) Potentially Naturalizing
Kaua'i Naturalized
O'ahu Naturalized
Molokai Naturalized
Lana'i Naturalized
Kaho'olawe Naturalized
Maui Naturalized
Hawai'i Naturalized

Dispersal Agents

Other Animals

Pollinators

Notes

  • Description digitized by Ashley wilson
  • Description digitized from the Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii
  • Sida spinosa erect annual or perennial herbs, are 0.5-0.8 m tall, copiously but minutely stellate puberulent, and eventually glabrate. Additionally, the lower dorsal and lateral walls are strongly reticulated, apical surfaces smooth, and puberulent.

Bibliography

Name Published In: Sp. Pl.: 683 (1753)

Other References

Wagner et al. 1990:899 (O, H); Lorence & Flynn 1997:10 (K); Oppenheimer et al. 1999:8 (WM); Staples et al. 2002:12 (L); Oppenheimer 2007:26 (Mo); Faccenda, Arthur, et al. 2025:194 (Ka); Jonathan Plissner pers. comm. 2025 (Mi?, observed but no spm.)

Occurrences

SNo. Scientific Name Locality Habitat Basis of Record Description Recorded By Record Number Island Source Date
1 Sida spinosa Puniuohua I Occasional to locally common in dry pastures, roadsides, and waste aras. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 80612 Molokai BISH 2006-08-10
2 Sida spinosa Kamalo, Ka Pu Lei Ranch. Kiawe shrubland. Preserved_Specimen Occasional to rare, erect, sparsely branched herb 3 dm tall. Leaves narrow, serrate. Flowers pale yellow, in leafless terminal racemes. Hughes, G.D. 19 Molokai BISH 1992-02-14
3 Sida spinosa Honolulu, Kalihi Street Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Herb, common weed. Grant, M.L. 7112 Oahu BISH 1934-07-18
4 Sida spinosa Na Pali Coast, Awa awapuhi Valley Growing on valley slope above stream with Setaria geniculata. Preserved_Specimen Low woody plant. Flowers yellow-orange. Corn, C. 391 Kauai BISH 1979-07-19
5 Sida spinosa Waimea District. Mana. Lio Road at boundary of the Pacific Missile Range Facility (Barking Sands) Roadside weedy vegetation. With Boerhavia coccinea and Cenchrus ciliaris. Preserved_Specimen Perennial, erect herb of eight inches. Leaves grey-green. Corolla in bud orange. Flynn, T.W. 3296 Kauai BISH 1989-03-23
6 Sida spinosa Honolulu; corner of Oahu Avenue & Maile Way Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Weed. Blades above olive-green, below pale green, fruiting calyx persisting, corollas pale-yellow. Petals with smaller lobe and adjacent edge of larger lobe capitate glandular puberulous ciliate. Flowers open at 8:30 AM, closed by 2 PM. St.John, H. 25280 Oahu BISH 1954-02-06
7 Sida spinosa Kawaihau District; Kapa'a proposed Kapa'a Highlands Grassland-shrubland Preserved_Specimen Secondary non-native species herb, 30 cm tall, few branced, diffuse, flowers yellow-white, stems green, leaves green, common Kirkpatrick, M. 11 Kauai BISH 2012-04-19
8 Sida spinosa Keaina Gulch Locally common in pasture. Preserved_Specimen Small shrubs to 60cm tall. Oppenheimer, H.L. 120628 Molokai BISH 2006-12-09
9 Sida spinosa Kalualu Bay near South Point Found along the road and in bushes on west side of bay. Preserved_Specimen Narrow leaved semi-woody shrub less than .3 m. high, flowers orange. Whistler, W.A. 56 Hawaii BISH 1972-04-06
10 Sida spinosa Hawaii loa. Along trail near second grove of Casuarina. Southeastern Koolau Mountains. Growing on dirt bank under Casuarina equisitifolia with Osteomeles anthyllydifolia, Dodonaea viscosa, Euphorbia celastroides, Sida fallax, Peperomia leptostachya, and others. Preserved_Specimen Leaves narrowly lanceolate-linear. Mericarps 5. Thomas, M.K. 671 Oahu BISH 2024-05-22
11 Sida spinosa Former Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Northern Trap & Skeet Range On edge of burnt Leucaena shrubland. With Cenchrus ciliaris, Eragrostis pectinacea (779288), Malva parviflora (779289), Solanum americanum (779291), and Euphorbia hirta (779292). Preserved_Specimen BISH staff 70 Oahu BISH 2021-05-11
12 Sida spinosa Waianae Mts., N. side of Keaau Val. (Keeau Val.), near sea Very dry roadside. Preserved_Specimen Flowers were closed at 3.00 p.m. Fosberg, F.R. 27135 Oahu BISH 1946-10-27
13 Sida spinosa Waimea District: Hanapepe, Port Allen, just north of Burns Field at junction of Lokokai Road and Lele Road Secondary vegetation dominated by Cenchrus ciliaris with Eragrostis, Eleusine, and Echinochloa. Preserved_Specimen Erect, perennial herb; stem pale green; leaves dull green above, dull, paler below; margins reddish; petiole tinged reddish, calyx and young stems tinged red; corolla pale orange. Flynn, T.W. 5927 Kauai BISH 1996-01-11
14 Sida spinosa North Kohala District, land of Kapaanui, along Highway 27 Preserved_Specimen Erect small shrub with yellow flowers. Herbst, D.R. 5613 Hawaii BISH 1976-01-19
15 Sida spinosa Honolulu; corner of Oahu Avenue & Maile Way Roadside. Preserved_Specimen Weed. Blades above olive-green, below pale green, fruiting calyx persisting, corollas pale-yellow. Petals with smaller lobe and adjacent edge of larger lobe capitate glandular puberulous ciliate. Flowers open at 8:30 AM, closed by 2 PM. St.John, H. 25280 Oahu BISH 1954-02-06
16 Sida spinosa At airport Preserved_Specimen A weed Hobdy, R.W. 2577 Lanai BISH 1986-07-07
17 Sida spinosa Dole St. Base of Wa'ahila ridge Shade under Leucanea. Rather dry Preserved_Specimen Common Faccenda, K. 1728 Oahu BISH 2021-02-12
18 Sida spinosa W Maui, Lahaina District, N of Honokowai Valley Along a dirt road adjacent to a pineapple field. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 89804 Maui BISH 1998-08-08
19 Sida spinosa Waianae Mts., Palehua Rd. Preserved_Specimen Krajina, V.J. 611029072 Oahu BISH 1961-10-29
20 Sida spinosa Along roadside, Kalihi Street, Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Grant, M.L. 7356 Oahu BISH 1934-09-16
21 Sida spinosa Kawainui Marsh, 1-1 & 1/2 miles from Pali Hwy. on Quarry Rd Preserved_Specimen Flowers light yellow. Fruit ovoid, with 5 units. Smith, L.B. 62.1 Oahu BISH 1976-02-12
22 Sida spinosa Waianae Mts., Mokuleia Forest Reserve Preserved_Specimen A weed. Onouye, R. Oahu BISH 1934-02-04
23 Sida spinosa Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 9 Oahu BISH
24 Sida spinosa Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 448 Oahu BISH 1916-01-01
25 Sida spinosa Kaimuki Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1937 Oahu BISH 1914-04-01
26 Sida spinosa Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. Oahu BISH 1908-07-15
27 Sida spinosa Ke Kuaaina, Na Laau Hawaii, Diamond Head Preserved_Specimen Oahu BISH 1962-03-10
28 Sida spinosa Barbers Point, Campbell Industrial Park Preserved_Specimen Sub-shrub with gray-green foliage, yellow flowers. Herbst, D.R. 5505 Oahu BISH 1975-10-07
29 Sida spinosa Honolulu, Diamond Head, S edge Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 3 Oahu BISH 1955-04-01
30 Sida spinosa North of Kuapa Pond, Kamehameha Farm Preserved_Specimen Gillespie, J.W. 1105 Oahu BISH 1927-07-08
31 Sida spinosa Kaimuki Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1937 Oahu BISH 1914-04-01
32 Sida spinosa Near Range HQTS Kahuku Military Reservation Preserved_Specimen Stemmermann, R.L. 1304 Oahu BISH 1976-11-26
33 Sida spinosa base of Punchbowl Preserved_Specimen Heller, A.A. 2000 Oahu BISH 1895-03-25
34 Sida spinosa Diamond Head. Back of Walker's Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 16 Oahu BISH 1953-03-18
35 Sida spinosa Honolulu, Rocky Hill Preserved_Specimen Swezey, O.H. Oahu BISH 1946-03-11
36 Sida spinosa Nuuanu Ridge; Kalihi Preserved_Specimen Bryan Jr., E.H. Oahu BISH 1921-10-28
37 Sida spinosa Honolulu, garden of Dr. W.T.Brigham [? Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. Oahu BISH 1908-09-01
38 Sida spinosa Honolulu, near Washington School Preserved_Specimen Caum, E.L. Oahu BISH 1929-12-19
39 Sida spinosa Haena State Park Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Kauai BISH 1978-06-13
40 Sida spinosa At base of trail to Kaluanui Valley, near an old homestead Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1978-03-21
41 Sida spinosa McGrew Point, Rainbow Bay State Park Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1981-01-22
42 Sida spinosa Rainbow Bay State Park. McGrew Point Preserved_Specimen Corn, C. Oahu BISH 1981-01-22
43 Sida spinosa Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Munro, G.C. 636 Oahu BISH 1916-01-01
44 Sida spinosa unknown Preserved_Specimen Woolford, H.A. BISH
45 Sida spinosa Honolulu Preserved_Specimen Forbes, C.N. 1018 Oahu BISH 1909-01-15
46 Sida spinosa W Maui, Lahaina District, Alaeloa In open field on N side of Kaopala Stream. Preserved_Specimen Oppenheimer, H.L. 79809 Maui BISH 1998-07-15
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