275 Species of Genus Sida

My Exploration of the Sida Genus

As a botanist, I’ve always been fascinated by the diversity and resilience of plant life. One genus that has particularly captured my attention is Sida, a group of flowering plants belonging to the mallow family, Malvaceae. These plants, often referred to as fanpetals or sidas, are found in tropical and subtropical regions across the globe, with a particular abundance in the Americas.

My interest in Sida stems from their remarkable adaptability and the sheer variety of species within the genus. From the creeping Sida abutifolia found in coastal regions to the towering Sida calyxhymenia that thrives in rocky terrains, each species has unique characteristics that allow it to flourish in its specific environment.

Diversity within the Sida Genus

The Sida genus boasts over 200 recognized species, each with its own distinct features and ecological niche:

1. Sida abadiana Krapov.
2. Sida abutilifolia Mill.
3. Sida acuta Burm.f.
4. Sida adrianopolitana Krapov.
5. Sida adscendens A.St.-Hil.
6. Sida aggregata C.Presl
7. Sida alamosana S.Watson ex Rose
8. Sida alba L.
9. Sida albiflora (Chodat & Hassl.) Krapov.
10. Sida albinervia Krapov.
11. Sida alii Abedin
12. Sida ambatensis Krapov.
13. Sida ammophila F.Muell. ex J.H.Willis
14. Sida andersonii Fryxell
15. Sida angustifolia Mill.
16. Sida angustissima A.St.-Hil.
17. Sida anodifolia Fryxell
18. Sida anomala A.St.-Hil.
19. Sida antillensis Urb.
20. Sida aprica Domin
21. Sida arboae Krapov.
22. Sida arcuata Krapov.
23. Sida arenicola S.T.Reynolds & A.E.Holland
24. Sida argentea F.M.Bailey
25. Sida argentina K.Schum.
26. Sida argillacea A.E.Holland & S.T.Reynolds
27. Sida arsiniata R.M.Barker
28. Sida asterocalyx S.T.Reynolds & A.E.Holland
29. Sida atherophora Domin
30. Sida aurantiaca A.St.-Hil.
31. Sida austrotaiwaniana S.S.Ying
32. Sida bakeriana Rusby
33. Sida barclayi Baker f.
34. Sida beckii Krapov.
35. Sida bipartita Schltr.
36. Sida blepharoprion Ulbr.
37. Sida boliviana Gand.
38. Sida bordasiana Krapov.
39. Sida bortolanensis Krapov.
40. Sida brachypoda A.E.Holland & S.T.Reynolds
41. Sida brachystemon DC.
42. Sida brittonii León
43. Sida brownii Clement
44. Sida cabraliana Krapov.
45. Sida cabreriana Krapov.
46. Sida calchaquiensis Rodrigo
47. Sida calliantha Thulin
48. Sida calva Fryxell
49. Sida calyxhymenia J.Gay ex DC.
50. Sida cambuiensis Monteiro
51. Sida carandana Krapov.
52. Sida cardiophylla F.Muell.
53. Sida carrascoana Bovini
54. Sida castanocarpa Krapov.
55. Sida caudata A.St.-Hil. & Naudin
56. Sida cavernicola Krapov.
57. Sida centuriata Clement
58. Sida cerradoensis Krapov.
59. Sida chapadensis K.Schum.
60. Sida charpinii Krapov.
61. Sida chinensis Retz.
62. Sida chiquitana Krapov.
63. Sida chrysantha Ulbr.
64. Sida ciliaris L.
65. Sida cleisocalyx F.Muell.
66. Sida clementii Domin
67. Sida confusa Hassl.
68. Sida coradinii Krapov.
69. Sida cordata (Burm.f.) Borss.Waalk.
70. Sida cordifolia L.
71. Sida cordifolioides K.M.Feng
72. Sida corrugata Lindl.
73. Sida coutinhoi Paiva & Noguiera
74. Sida cristobaliana Krapov.
75. Sida cruziana Krapov.
76. Sida cuneifolia Roxb.
77. Sida cuspidata (A.Robyns) Krapov.
78. Sida decandra R.E.Fr.
79. Sida dubia A.St.-Hil. & Naudin
80. Sida dureana Krapov.
81. Sida echinocarpa F.Muell.
82. Sida ectogama W.R.Barker & R.M.Barker
83. Sida elliottii Torr. & A.Gray
84. Sida elongata Blume
85. Sida emilei Hochr.
86. Sida esperanzae R.E.Fr.
87. Sida everistiana S.T.Reynolds & A.E.Holland
88. Sida fallax Walp.
89. Sida farroupilhensis Krapov. & O.L.Bueno
90. Sida fastuosa Fryxell & S.D.Koch
91. Sida ferrucciana Krapov.
92. Sida fibulifera Lindl.
93. Sida floccosa Thulin & Vollesen
94. Sida galheirensis Ulbr.
95. Sida gertiana Krapov.
96. Sida glabra Mill.
97. Sida glaziovii K.Schum.
98. Sida glocimarii Krapov.
99. Sida glomerata Cav.
100. Sida glutinosa Comm. ex Cav.
101. Sida goniocarpa (F.Muell. ex Benth.) Domin
102. Sida goyazensis K.Schum.
103. Sida gracilipes Rusby
104. Sida gracillima Hassl.
105. Sida graniticola J.R.I.Wood
106. Sida grazielae Monteiro
107. Sida hackettiana W.Fitzg.
108. Sida haenkeana C.Presl
109. Sida harleyi Krapov.
110. Sida hassleri Hochr.
111. Sida hatschbachii Krapov.
112. Sida hederifolia Cav.
113. Sida hemitropousa Pandeya
114. Sida heringeri Krapov.
115. Sida hibisciformis Bertol.
116. Sida hirsutissima Mill.
117. Sida hoepfneri Gürke
118. Sida honoriana Krapov.
119. Sida hookeriana Miq.
120. Sida hyalina Fryxell
121. Sida hyssopifolia C.Presl
122. Sida ignaciana Krapov.
123. Sida intricata F.Muell.
124. Sida itaparicana Krapov.
125. Sida jamaicensis L.
126. Sida japiana Krapov.
127. Sida jatrophoides L’Hér.
128. Sida javensis Cav.
129. Sida jussiaeana DC.
130. Sida kelleri Krapov.
131. Sida keralensis E.S.S.Kumar, Shailaj., A.K.Sreekala, B.Parthipan & Prakashk.
132. Sida kingii F.Muell.
133. Sida kranzii Krapov. & O.L.Bueno
134. Sida laciniata Bovini
135. Sida lancifolia Burtt Davy
136. Sida leitaofilhoi Krapov.
137. Sida libenii Hauman
138. Sida lilianae Krapov.
139. Sida limensis R.E.Fr.
140. Sida lindheimeri Engelm. & A.Gray
141. Sida linearifolia A.St.-Hil.
142. Sida linearis Cav.
143. Sida linifolia Juss. ex Cav.
144. Sida littoralis Siedo
145. Sida lonchitis A.St.-Hil. & Naudin
146. Sida longipedicellata Thulin
147. Sida longipes A.Gray
148. Sida loretana Krapov.
149. Sida luschnathiana Steud.
150. Sida macaibae Monteiro
151. Sida macropetala Monteiro
152. Sida magnifica Domin
153. Sida magnifolia Krapov.
154. Sida marabaensis Monteiro
155. Sida martiana A.St.-Hil.
156. Sida massaica Vollesen
157. Sida meloana Krapov.
158. Sida meridiana Fryxell
159. Sida michoacana Fryxell
160. Sida monteiroi Krapov.
161. Sida monticola Fryxell
162. Sida mysorensis Wight & Arn.
163. Sida nemorensis Mart. ex Colla
164. Sida neomexicana A.Gray
165. Sida nesogena I.M.Johnst.
166. Sida nordestinensis S.S.Figueiredo & J.I.M.Melo
167. Sida nummularia Baker f.
168. Sida oblonga Bovini
169. Sida ogadensis Thulin & Vollesen
170. Sida oligandra K.Schum.
171. Sida orientalis Cav.
172. Sida ovalis Kostel.
173. Sida ovata Forssk.
174. Sida palmata Cav.
175. Sida palustris Krapov.
176. Sida paradoxa Rodrigo
177. Sida parva Krapov.
178. Sida paucifolia DC.
179. Sida pedersenii Krapov.
180. Sida pedunculata (A.Cunn. ex J.M.Black) J.M.Black
181. Sida pernambucensis Baracho & J.L.Brandão
182. Sida petrophila F.Muell.
183. Sida petropolitana Monteiro
184. Sida phaeotricha F.Muell.
185. Sida picklesiana A.S.Markey, S.J.Dillon & R.M.Barker
186. Sida pindapoyensis Krapov.
187. Sida piraporana Krapov.
188. Sida pires-blackii Monteiro
189. Sida planicaulis Cav.
190. Sida platycalyx F.Muell. ex Benth.
191. Sida pleiantha F.Muell. ex Benth.
192. Sida poeppigiana (K.Schum.) Fryxell
193. Sida potentilloides A.St.-Hil.
194. Sida potosina Brandegee
195. Sida pradeepiana Tambde & Sardesai
196. Sida pritzeliana Domin
197. Sida prolifica Fryxell & S.D.Koch
198. Sida pseudocordifolia Hochr.
199. Sida pseudocymbalaria Hassl.
200. Sida pseudopotentilloides Monteiro
201. Sida pueblensis Fryxell
202. Sida pusilla Cav.
203. Sida quettensis I.Riedl
204. Sida quinquevalvacea J.L.Liu
205. Sida ramoniana Krapov.
206. Sida ravii Sivad. & Anil Kumar
207. Sida regnellii R.E.Fr.
208. Sida reitzii Krapov.
209. Sida repens Dombey ex Cav.
210. Sida rhizomatosa Krapov.
211. Sida rhombifolia L.
212. Sida riedelii K.Schum.
213. Sida rigida (G.Don) D.Dietr.
214. Sida rivulicola Ulbr.
215. Sida rodrigoi Monteiro
216. Sida rohlenae Domin
217. Sida rubifolia A.St.-Hil.
218. Sida rubromarginata Nash
219. Sida rufescens A.St.-Hil.
220. Sida ruizii Ulbr.
221. Sida rupicola Hassl.
222. Sida rzedowskii Fryxell
223. Sida salviifolia C.Presl
224. Sida samoensis Rech.
225. Sida sampaiana Monteiro
226. Sida sangana Ulbr.
227. Sida santaremensis Monteiro
228. Sida santosii Krapov.
229. Sida saraviae Krapov.
230. Sida schimperiana Hochst. ex A.Rich.
231. Sida schininii Krapov.
232. Sida schumanniana Krapov.
233. Sida serrata Willd. ex Spreng.
234. Sida setosa Mart. ex Colla
235. Sida shinyangensis Vollesen
236. Sida silvaniana Krapov.
237. Sida simpsonii Krapov.
238. Sida sivarajanii Tambde, Sardesai & A.K.Pandey
239. Sida spenceriana F.Muell.
240. Sida spinosa L.
241. Sida spodochroma F.Muell.
242. Sida subcordata Span.
243. Sida subcuneata A.St.-Hil.
244. Sida sucupirana Krapov.
245. Sida surumuensis Ulbr.
246. Sida szechuensis Matsuda
247. Sida tanaensis Vollesen
248. Sida tapiraguensis Krapov.
249. Sida tenuicarpa Vollesen
250. Sida teresinensis Krapov.
251. Sida ternata L.f.
252. Sida teysmannii Baker f.
253. Sida tiagii Bhandari
254. Sida tobatiensis Ulbr.
255. Sida tragiifolia A.Gray
256. Sida tressensiae Krapov.
257. Sida trichopoda F.Muell.
258. Sida tuberculata R.E.Fr.
259. Sida turneroides Standl.
260. Sida uchoae Monteiro
261. Sida ulei Ulbr.
262. Sida ulmifolia Mill.
263. Sida urens L.
264. Sida vagans Krapov.
265. Sida vallsii Krapov.
266. Sida variegata (Griseb.) Krapov.
267. Sida vespertina Ekman
268. Sida viarum A.St.-Hil.
269. Sida waltoniana Krapov.
270. Sida weberbaueri Ulbr.
271. Sida wingfieldii (Fryxell) Dorr
272. Sida xanti A.Gray
273. Sida yungasensis Krapov.
274. Sida yunnanensis S.Y.Hu
275. Sida zahlbruckneri Rech.

Significance and Uses

Beyond their botanical interest, Sida plants have also been recognized for their various uses in traditional medicine and industry. Some species, such as Sida cordifolia, have been used in Ayurvedic medicine for their purported anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. Others, like Sida rhombifolia, are known for their strong fibers, which have been traditionally used for making ropes and cordage.

Challenges in Sida Taxonomy

Despite their widespread distribution and ecological importance, the taxonomy of Sida remains a complex and evolving field. The sheer number of species, coupled with their morphological variability, has made it challenging to accurately classify and identify them. Recent molecular studies have shed new light on the phylogenetic relationships within the genus, leading to revisions in its taxonomy and a better understanding of its evolutionary history.

My Ongoing Research

My current research focuses on the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships of Sida species in Southeast Asia. This region is home to a rich diversity of Sida plants, many of which are endemic to the region. By employing molecular techniques and morphological analyses, I aim to unravel the evolutionary history of these fascinating plants and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the Sida genus.

I believe that continued research on Sida is crucial not only for advancing our knowledge of plant diversity but also for exploring their potential applications in medicine, agriculture, and industry. As I delve deeper into the world of Sida, I am constantly amazed by their resilience, adaptability, and the intricate relationships they have with their environment. I am excited to continue my exploration of this fascinating genus and contribute to our understanding of the plant kingdom.