Sida rhombifolia L. MALVACEAE Synonyms: Sida hondensis Kunth in Humb. Sida ruderata Macfad.

arrowleaf sida

diameter and contain (/ to (2 small dark-brown seeds. 7oth di!loid '6n 8 (2+ and tetra!loid '6n 8 61+ forms e&ist 'Holm and others ())* Howard ()1) Lio%ier ())2+. Range.Arrowleaf sida %rows today in o$er */ countries throu%hout the tro!ical subtro!ical and warm tem!erate re%ions 'Holm and others ())* Howard ()1)+. ,ts ori%inal ran%e is not known but the !resence of multi!le subs!ecies and $arieties seems to indicate that it was from the 9ld :orld. 3he s!ecies was introduced into the ;nited States in the late (1//"s as a !romisin% fiber cro! 'Holm and others ())*+. Ecology.Arrowleaf sida %rows only in disturbed areas and in situations where o$erhead com!etition is controlled or naturally li%ht. ,t is common in culti$ated fields !astures abandoned farmland roadsides $acant lots construction sites landslides and ri$er o$erflow areas. ,t does not sur$i$e in tall %rass swards tall brushlands and closed forests. Arrowleaf sida %rows on both fertile and de%raded soils of all te&tures and deri$ed from most !arent materials. ,t may be found %rowin% from near sea le$el to 6 /// m in ele$ation 'Holm and others ())*+. ,n <uerto =ico the s!ecies %rows in areas recei$in% from )// to 5/// mm of !reci!itation. Reproduction.Arrowleaf sida flowers and fruits continuously startin% at 5 or 2 months of a%e in <uerto =ico. ,n Central ,ndia !lants flower from Se!tember to >ecember and fruit from 9ctober to ?anuary '<arrotta 6//(+. A sin%le !lant can !roduce as many as (( .// seeds. ,ndi$idual seeds ha$e been re!orted to wei%h between /.//(6 and /.//(0 % 'Holm and others ())*+. Seeds collected in <uerto =ico a$era%ed /.//(. %@seed or .60 /// seeds@k%. Sown on moist filter !a!er without any !retreatment 55 !ercent %erminated within (5 months 'author"s obser$ation+. Aresh seed is dormant and dry stora%e free4in% $arious li%ht re%imes and se$eral chemical treatments failed to induce %ermination. Howe$er acid scarification heatin% and cold stora%e succeeded in breakin% dormancy. Some 1/ !ercent %ermination was

General Description.Arrowleaf sida is known by many common names: broom weed !addy"s lucerne Cuba #ute common sida escoba dulce escoba blanca escoba dura mal$a de cochino huan% hau mu rhomboid ilima antibala idem afata %uan&uma and basbasot 'Holm and others ())*+. ,t is a short-li$ed !erennial subshrub 'woody stem and herbaceous branches+ commonly %rowin% to ./ cm but sometimes reachin% (.0 m in hei%ht. 'Holm and others ())* Howard ()1) Lio%ier ())2+. Arrowleaf sida de$elo!s a ta!root and many lateral and fine roots. 3he !lant usually has a sin%le stem unless disturbed but may branch near the %round. 3he stems are woody fle&ible and tou%h and may reach ( cm or more in basal diameter. 3he twi%s are slender %reen and semiwoody. 3he alternate lea$es are $ariable in both sha!e and si4e. 3hey ha$e a 5- to 1-mm !etiole with broadly o$ate to lanciolate 'often rhomboidal+ blades 6 to . cm lon% and serrate at the mar%ins es!ecially from the middle to the ti!. 3he a&illary flowers are solitary on slender !edicels 6 to 5 cm lon%. 3he corolla contains fi$e !ale yellow to yellow-oran%e !etals. 3he fruits are round flattened schi4ocar!s 2 to 0 mm in

obtained at the best soil de!th for %ermination which was /.0 to 6 cm 'Holm and others ())*+. Arrowleaf sida !lants s!rout $i%orously if cut. 3he seeds are dis!ersed by water farm machinery ruminant animals and in im!ure a%ricultural seed. Ants dis!erse the seeds in Africa 'Holm and other ())*+. Growth and Management.Arrowleaf sida !lants may reach /.0 m or more in their first year. Browth is most ra!id in warm conditions 'days of 5/ CC and ni%hts of 60 CC+. Browth nearly ceases below 6/ CC. <lants sur$i$e frosts and winters as far north as 3ennessee 'Holm and others ())*+. Althou%h the s!ecies is able to !er!etuate itself as an annual in difficult climates and under culti$ated a%riculture the aerial !ortions of indi$idual !lants in fa$orable climates may li$e 5 years and !ossibly more by res!routin%. Control but not elimination of arrowleaf sida in !lantations and !astures may be achie$ed by hand weedin% and herbicide s!rayin%. Hand !ullin% and mowin% are only !artially effecti$e because arrowleaf sida is difficult to !ull and Duickly s!routs after cuttin%. 3he weed !roblem from arrowleaf sida becomes more se$ere in reduced tilla%e a%riculture 'Holm and others ())*+. Mowin% or chain slashin% is recommended in !astures to su!!ress arrowleaf sida and other un!alatable Sida s!ecies and allow !asture fora%e !lants to %row 'Aood and A%riculture 9r%ani4ation 6//6+. Effecti$e biolo%ical control has been obtained in Australia and <a!ua Eew Buinea by introducin% the leafeatin% beetle Calligrapha pantherina which feeds e&clusi$ely on three s!ecies of weedy Sida"s 'Kuniata and =a!! 6//(+. Benefits.Arrowleaf sida stems are used as rou%h corda%e sackin% and for makin% brooms. 3he stems ha$e a hi%h Duality fiber and were once e&!orted from ,ndia and elsewhere as Fhem!G 'Bu4mHn ()*0 Holm and others ())*+. Chemical analysis re$ealed that the lea$es contain res!ectable amounts of nutrients: *2 /// to 52* /// !!m !rotein )2 /// to 2*0 /// !!m carbohydrates 55 /// to (.* /// !!m fiber (2 /// to *( /// !!m fat and (. /// to 1( /// !!m ash. Howe$er it was re!orted that the root contained 20/ !!m alkaloids and the !resence of e!hedrine and sa!onin 'Southwest School of 7otanical Medicine 6//6+. Another source re!orts an alkaloid content in the root of /.( !ercent and the !resence of choline !seudoe!hedrine beta!henethylamine $ascin hi!a!horine and related indole alkaloids 'Shaman Australis Ethnobotanicals 6//6+. <erha!s because of these

chemicals arrowleaf sida is un!alatable to cattle 'Kuniata and =a!! 6//(+. Arrowleaf sida has si%nificant medicinal a!!lications for which it is culti$ated throu%hout ,ndia. 3he !ounded lea$es are used to relie$e swellin% the fruits are used to relie$e headache the mucila%e is used as an emollient and the root is used to treat rheumatism '<arrotta 6//(+. Australian Abori%ines use the herb to treat diarrhea. Lea$es are smoked in Me&ico and a tea is !re!ared in ,ndia for the stimulation it !ro$ides 'Shaman Australis Ethnobotanicals 6//6+. References Aood and A%riculture 9r%ani4ation. 6//6. Cultural !ractices. htt!:@@www.fao.or%@a%@AB<@AB<C@ doc@<ublicat@AA9B;L6@76/2.htm. 6 !. Bu4mHn >.?. ()*0. Es!ecies Itiles de la flora Sal$adoreJa. Ministerio de EducaciKn >irecciKn de <ublicaciones. San Sal$ador El Sal$ador. */5 !. Holm L. ?. >oll E. Holm ?. <ancho and ?. Herber%er. ())*. :orld weeds. ?ohn :iley and Sons ,nc. Eew Lork. ( (6) !. Howard =.A. ()1). Alora of the Lesser Antilles Leeward and :indward ,slands. Vol. 0. Arnold Arboretum Har$ard ;ni$ersity ?amaica <lain MA. ./2 !. Kuniata L. and B. =a!!. 6//(. 7iocontrol of Sida rhombifolia in <a!ua Eew Buinea. htt!:@@w ww.nt.%o$.au@d!if@!ubcat@a%notes@ 026.htm. 2 !. Lio%ier H.A. ())2. >escri!ti$e flora of <uerto =ico and ad#acent ,slands. Vol. 5. Editorial de la ;ni$ersidad de <uerto =ico =Mo <iedras <=. 2.( !. <arrotta ?.A. 6//(. Healin% !lants of <eninsular ,ndia. CA7, <ublishin% :allin%ford ;K and Eew Lork. )(* !. Shaman Australis Ethnobotanicals. 6//6. Sida rhombifolia common sida. htt!:@@www.shamanaustralis.com@:ebsite@Sidarhombifolia.htm. ( !. Southwest School of 7otanical Medicine. 6//6. Constituents. htt!:@@www.rt...com@hrbmoore@ Constituents@SidaNrhombifolia.t&t. ( !.

?ohn K. Arancis =esearch Aorester ;.S. >e!artment of A%riculture Aorest Ser$ice ,nternational ,nstitute of 3ro!ical Aorestry ?ardMn 7otHnico Sur (6/( Calle Ceiba San ?uan <= //)6.-((() in coo!eration with the ;ni$ersity of <uerto =ico =Mo <iedras <= //)5.-2)12