Sida
(an old Greek name, used by Theophrastus for the Water-Lily). Indian Mallow. ORD. Malvaceae. A genus comprising about eighty species of stove, greenhouse, or hardy herbs, sub-shrubs or shrubs; about eight inhabit the warmer parts of Africa and Asia, thirteen are indigenous to Australia, and the rest are American. Flowers various-coloured and sometimes showy, sessile or pedunculate, solitary or glomerate, axillary or disposed in terminal heads, spikes, or racemes; calyx five-toothed or five-cleft; petals five, hypogynous; staminal column divided into numerous filaments at the apex; bracteoles absent, or distant from the calyx. Leaves alternate. Only three species call for description here. They thrive in any rich soil. S. Napaea may be increased by seeds; and the others by cuttings, inserted in sand, under a glass, in heat. Many plants, formerly included here, are now classed under Abutilon.
S. inaequalis (oblique-leaved).* fl. on lateral peduncles about 2in. long; calyx segments ovate, acute, ferruginous, pubescent; corolla white, 2in. across when fully expanded, the petals clawed, densely glandular-pubescent outside. May. l. 4in. to 7in. long, slightly undulated, harshly pubescent, cordate-ovate, unequal at base, acuminate; petioles 1in. to 2in. long. h. 7ft. Brazil, 1829. Stove shrub. (B. M. 3436.)
S. Napaea (Napaea).* fl. white, large, disposed in umbellate corymbs; carpels ten, pointed. Summer. l. five-cleft; lobes oblong, pointed, toothed. h. 4ft. to 10ft. North America. A tall, smooth, hardy, herbaceous perennial. (B. M. 2913.)
S. sessiliflora (sessile-flowered). fl. yellow, small, somewhat glomerate, sessile, axillary and terminal; corolla scarcely twice the length of the calyx. August to November. l. cordate, acute, serrated. h. 3ft. South America, 1827. Stove sub-shrub. (B. M. 2857.)