Prickly sida
Common Name:
sida, prickly
Scientific Name:
Sida spinosa
Family:
Malvaceae
Lifecycle:
Annual
Features
Common annual herb. Plant stiff and rigid. Leaves solitary, alternate, and rhomboid with lobed-toothed margins complete covering leaf edges. Flowers with five white to yellow, solitary, occurring in leaf axils. Fruit a five-ridged capsule. Petiole (leaf stalk) is longer than peduncle (flower stalk).
Description
Common weed in crop plants, along fencerows, infrequently mowed areas, and along field edges. Often referred to as “teaweed” because of its similar leaves to tea (Camellia spp.). Two characteristics distinguish arrowleaf and prickly sida: First, the length of the peduncle (flower stalk) to petiole (leaf stalk). Arrowleaf has a longer peduncle and short petiole. Prickly has a short peduncle and long petiole. Second, leaf edges. Arrowleaf has lobed teeth on the upper half of the leaf, while prickly has lobed teethed throughout the leaf margins.