Sida rhombifolia L.

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Ecology

Alt. 0 - 1800 m.

Morphology General Habit

Herb or subshrub.

Conservation

Least concern.

Distribution

Native from Colombia.

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

Morphology General Habit

Annual or biennial herb or suffrutex or shrublet, up to c. 1 m. tall; erect, often ± virgate, usually not much branched; stems terete, grey or brown, stellate-pubescent to stellate-tomentose, ultimately glabrescent.

Morphology Leaves

Leaf-lamina 2–6 × 0·5–2·5 cm., oblong to lanceolate-oblong or somewhat rhomboid, shortly and sparsely stellate-pubescent or almost glabrous on the darker upper surface, shortly stellate-pubescent to velutinous on the pale lower surface, apex usually obtuse to rounded or rarely acute, margin finely crenate or subserrate, base broadly cuneate to rounded; petiole usually less than 5 mm. long; stipules c. 5. mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers pale yellow to cream, axillary, solitary; pedicels rarely exceeding 20 mm. long in flower and 35 mm. long in fruit.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 4–5 mm. long, saucer- to cup-shaped, divided to about 1/3, stellate-velutinous or more sparsely pubescent, 10-nerved; lobes triangular, acute, sometimes mucronate.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals c. 8 mm. long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal tube glabrous or sparsely glandular-papillose.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps 8–12, c. 4 mm. long, birostrate, with awns usually connivent until dehiscence of the fruit, glabrous except for the usually shortly pubescent awns.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds smooth and glabrous except for the pubescent area around the hilum.

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: ? Jamaica, Linn. Herb. 886.3 (LINN!, lecto.) (left hand side fruiting specimen) (see note)

Morphology General Habit

Perennial often subshrubby herb 0.3–2(–3) m tall.

Morphology Stem

Stems usually erect or ascending, stellate-pubescent or tomentose

Morphology Leaves

Leaves oblanceolate to ovate, elliptic or rhombic (some Asiatic infraspecific taxa have obcuneate leaves with a retuse apex), 0.5–13 × 0.3–6 cm, rounded to acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at base, finely stellate-pubescent, with simple hairs or almost glabrous above, usually more densely so beneath, the hairs often of different sizes (densely tomentose in some New World varieties), serrate except near base sometimes; petiole 0.2–2.5 cm long; stipules linear, 3–8(–12) mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary and/or in short axillary cymes sometimes aggregated at apex of shoots; pedicel 0.2–3.5(–6) cm long including up to 1.3 cm long joint; calyx 5–8 mm long, always 10-ribbed at base, the ribs distinctly yellowish, at least when dry, with scattered small and larger stellate hairs and sometimes long hairs, divided to middle into broadly ovate-triangular lobes, sometimes ciliate, glabrous inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white or pale yellow to apricot, sometimes reddish or purplish at base, 6–12 mm long.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Staminal column 1–3 mm long, with stalked glands and simple hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps (7–)8–14, (2–)3–3.5 mm long, ± smooth to slightly or strongly reticulate-ribbed on back and sides and the outer margins often ± serrate in some varieties, glabrous, glandular or puberulous, dehiscent or indehiscent, the beak part with 1–2 short or long awns or without awns but splitting and appearing birostrate but with nothing or scarcely anything projecting beyond the outline of the mericarp (in one South American variety the awns are very long, pubescent and flexuous).

Verdcourt, B. (2004). The Variation of Sida rhombifolia L. (Malvaceae) in East Africa. Kew Bulletin, 59(2), 233-239. doi:10.2307/4115855

Type

?Jamaica, Linnaean Herb. 866.3, left hand fruiting specimen (lectotype LINN, selected by Rodrigo 1944).

Morphology General Habit

Perennial often subshrubby herb 0.3 - 2(- 3) m tall; stems usually erect or ascending, stellate pubescent or tomentose

Morphology Leaves

Leaves oblanceolate to ovate, elliptic or rhombic (some Asiatic infraspecific taxa have obcuneate leaves with a retuse apex), 0.5 - 13 x 0.3 - 6 cm, rounded to acuminate at the apex, cuneate to rounded at the base, finely stellate-pubescent, with simple hairs or almost glabrous above, usually more densely so beneath, the hairs often of different sizes (densely tomentose in some New World varieties), serrate save sometimes near base; petioles 0.2 - 2.5 cm long; stipules linear, 3 - 8(- 12) mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers solitary and/or in short axillary cymes, sometimes aggregated at apex of shoots; pedicels 0.2 - 3.5(- 5) cm long including up to 1.3 cm long joint

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx

Calyx 5 - 8 mm long, always 10-ribbed at base, the ribs distinctly yellowish, at least when dry, with scattered small and larger stellate hairs and sometimes long hairs, divided to middle into broadly ovate-triangular lobes, sometimes ciliate, glabrous inside

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla

Petals white or pale yellow to apricot, sometimes reddish or purplish at base, 6 - 12 mm long

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Column

Staminal column 1 - 3 mm long, with stalked glands and simple hairs

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Mericarps (7 -) 8 - 14, (2 -)3 - 3.5 mm long, ± smooth to slightly or strongly reticulate-ribbed on back and sides and the outer margins often ± serrate in some varieties, glabrous, glandular or puberulous, dehiscent or indehiscent, the beak part with 1- 2 short or long awns or without awns but splitting and appearing birostrate but with nothing or scarcely anything projecting beyond the outline of the mericarp (in one South American variety the awns are very long, pubescent and flexuous).

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular

escoba, escoba amarilla, escoba babosa, escoba cimarrona, escoba negra, escobabosa, escobadura, escobilla, escobilla babosa, escobo, escobo amarillo, escubilla, escubilla babosa

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

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution

Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 0 - 1800 m.; Amazonia, Andes, Islas Caribeñas, Llanura del Caribe, Orinoquia, Pacífico, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Valle del Cauca, Valle del Magdalena.

Morphology General Habit

Hierba, subarbusto

Conservation

Preocupación Menor

Distribution

Biogeografic region: Amazonia, Andean, Caribbean, Orinoquia, Pacific. Elevation range: 0–1800 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Amazonas, Antioquia, Arauca, Atlántico, Bogotá DC, Bolívar, Boyacá, Caldas, Caquetá, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, Chocó, Córdoba, Cundinamarca, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, Norte de Santander, Risaralda, San Andrés y Providencia, Santander, Tolima, Valle del Cauca, Vichada.

Habit

Herb, Subshrub.

Conservation

National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.

Ecology

Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, savanna, shrubland, native grassland, wetlands (inland), artificial - terrestrial.

Vernacular

Escoba, Escoba babosa, Escoba cimarrona, Escoba negra, Escobadura, Escobilla, Escobo, Escobo amarillo

Use Animal Food

Used as animal food.

Use Food

Used for food.

Use Materials

Used as material.

Use Medicines

Medical uses.

Use Poisons

Poisons.

Use Social

Social uses.