Sida echinocarpa F.Muell.

Scientific Description

Herb or shrub, with hairy stems. Leaves 25-90 mm long, 8-825 mm wide, not lobed; margins crenate or serrate; hairy, with stellate hairswith scales absent, Sessile glands absent; stipules present and persistent to older leaves or present but early deciduous (only visible on youngest leaves). Perianth clearly of two whorls (calyx and corolla), the corolla obvious and prominent. Pedicel present, 13-15 mm long; indumentum present, with stellate hairs present, with scales absent. Epicalyx (extra segments or 'bracteoles' immediately below the calyx) absent. Calyx green, 7.5-9 mm long, the lobes fused less than half their length, Sessile glands absent, simple hairs (without tubercle bases) absent, stellate hairs present, tubercle-based simple hairs absent, gland-tipped hairs absent, scales absent, Terminal appendages absent, number of ribs absent. Corolla yellow, 8.5-11 mm long, hairs or scales present, simple hairs (without tubercle bases) present, stellate hairs present, tubercle-based simple hairs absent, gland-tipped hairs absent, scales absent. Indumentum (outside) Sessile glands absent. Stamens many, united and arising from a staminal tube around the style; filaments present, 1.5-2.6 mm long; anthers 0.4-0.5 mm long, indumentum absent (anthers glabrous). Staminodes absent, appendages absent. Ovary hairs or scales present, simple hairs absent, stellate hairs present, gland-tipped hairs absent; style 1, 5-5.8 mm long, with four style branches or lobes, mostly glabrous, wing absent. Fruits indehiscent and splitting into sections (schizocarps), length-width ratio more or less as long as wide, mericarps wrinkled, hairs or scales present, simple hairs (without tubercle bases) absent, stellate hairs present, Sessile glands absent, tubercle-based simple hairs absent, gland-tipped hairs absent, scales absent; apex rounded; prickles absent (except perhaps a terminal awn); terminal awns or spines absent; calyx persistent to mature fruit, 10-12 mm long, accrescent; carpels 9; seeds per loculus 1. Flowering time July, August, September or October. Distribution Botanical Province Eremaean, IBRA Bioregion Great Sandy Desert, Pilbara, Carnarvon, Gascoyne and Little Sandy Desert.