Prickly sida
June 12, 2015
Sida spinosa L. Malvaceae (Mallow family)
Life cycle
Erect, branching summer annual.
Leaves
Cotyledons are rounded to heart-shaped with a notch in the tip and short hairs on the surface. Leaves are alternate, egg-shaped to lanceolate, 1 to 2 inches long with toothed margins. Star-shaped hairs make leaf surfaces softly hairy.

Prickly sida seedling and leaf.
Stems
Erect, up to 2-foot-tall branching stems have spines at the leaf nodes.
Flowers and fruit
Pale yellow, five-petaled flowers are formed alone or in small clusters in the upper leaf axils. Fruit are made up of five spined segments, each containing one seed with one round and two flattened surfaces.
Reproduction
Seeds.
Print a PDF of this page: Prickly sida
Other Documents in this Series
You Might Also Be Interested In
-
CANR provides rankings on department, unit initiatives around DEI
Published on May 3, 2023
-
CANR provides rankings on department, unit initiatives around DEI
Published on April 26, 2022
-
CANR provides rankings on department, unit initiatives around DEI
Published on May 11, 2021
-
Larval Sampling of Cherries to Determine Spotted Wing Drosophila Infestation
Published on June 26, 2025
-
Apiculture programs and resources from Michigan State University Extension
Published on February 21, 2025
Accessibility Questions:
For questions about accessibility and/or if you need additional accommodations for a specific document, please send an email to ANR Communications & Marketing at anrcommunications@anr.msu.edu.