Prickly Fanpetals, Prickly-Mallow, Prickly Sida, White Broomweed

Sida spinosa

SEE-duh  spy-NO-suh

Synonyms of Sida spinosa (26) (Updated on 12-21-23 from Plants of the World Online): Malachodendron corchoroides (Forssk.) J.F.Gmel., Malva spinosa (L.) E.H.L.Krause, Malvinda alnifolia Medik., Malvinda spinosa (L.) Medik., Sida angustifolia Lam., Sida angustifolia var. major C.Presl, Sida betonicifolia Pav. ex Hemsl., Sida bicolor Cav., Sida bicuspidata J.F.Gmel., Sida boriara Wall., Sida emarginata Willd., Sida glandulosa Roxb. ex Wight & Arn., Sida heterocarpa Engelm. ex A.Gray, Sida milleri DC., Sida minor Macfad., Sida pimpinellifolia Mill., Sida retusa Wight ex Mast., Sida scabra Thonn., Sida spinosa f. albiflora Magrath, Sida spinosa var. angustifolia Griseb., Sida spinosa var. kazmii Abedin, Sida subdistans A.St.-Hil. & Naudin, Sida tenuicaulis Hook.f., Sida truncata L’Hér., Sida ulmifolia Retz., , Stewartia corchoroides Forssk.

Sida spinosa L. is the accepted scientific name for the species most commonly known as Prickly Fanpetals. The genus and species were named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the second volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.

As of 12-21-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 274 species in the Sida genus. It is a member of the plant family Malvaceae with 246 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.

The above distribution map for Sida spinosa is from Plants of the World Online. Areas in green are where the species is native and purple is where it has been introduced. The map on the USDA Plants Database for the United States and Canada is similar and includes the state of California.

The map on iNaturalist shows where members have made observations. Anyone can join and it is a great website to confirm and share your observations. The maps on iNaturalist are continually updated as members post new observations.

THERE ARE SEVERAL LINKS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FOR FURTHER READING AND TO HELP WITH A POSITIVE ID.

On September 1 in 2022 I decided to take a walk to the main hayfield to take more photos of the Euphorbia corollata (Flowering Spurge. As I was walking through an area south of the barn, I saw a fairly good-sized colony of a species I hadn’t noticed before. It is always weird when that happens especially in an area I have walked through many times. How could I not see them before? I took several photos to upload on iNaturalist to see if I could get an ID. I likely didn’t notice them before because they have fairly small flowers and they are always gone by the time I go wildflower hunting in the early evening. I read somewhere that their flowers are normally open in the morning sun… Their flowers are very interesting, so I will have to try to get to their spot during the morning… Supposedly, they bloom from June through October. I continued going out to the location until I finally got a few good flower shots. The colony was MUCH larger than I thought which made it even weirder I had not noticed them before.

As it turns out, the species is Sida spinosa and its favored common name is Prickly Fanpetals.  Other common names include False Mallow, Indian Mallow, Prickly Mallow, Prickly Sida, Spiny Sida, Teaweed, Thistle Mallow, White Broomweed, and probably others. It is a member of the plant family Malvaceae. Looking at the map, I found it interesting how many countries this species is a native of. That rarely happens…

There are several websites with information about the Sida spinosa. I added several links at the bottom of the page to help with a positive ID and for further reading. I add descriptions and make updates during the winter, but I wanted to write this page anyway. I will add descriptions as soon as I can…

 

 

 

 

 

I found a good-sized colony of this species in the garden in 2023. Their photos are at the bottom of the page under the links for further reading.

I live on a small farm in Windsor, Missouri where I enjoy gardening, collecting plants, and identifying wildflowers. The farm is in Pettis County but Henry County is across the street, and Benton and Johnson aren’t far away. I have grown over 500 different plants and identified over 250 species of wildflowers (most have pages listed on the right side of the page). I am not an expert, botanist, or horticulturalist. I just like growing, photographing, and writing about my experience. I rely on several websites for ID and a few horticulturalists I contact if I cannot figure them out. Wildflowers can be variable from location to location, so that can be a bit confusing. If you see I have made an error, please let me know so I can correct what I have written.

I hope you found this page useful and be sure to check the links below for more information. They were written by experts and provide much more information. Some sites may not be up-to-date but they are always a work in progress. If you can, I would appreciate it if you would click on the “Like” below and leave a comment. It helps us bloggers stay motivated. You can also send an email to me at thebelmontrooster@yahoo.com. I would enjoy hearing from you especially if you notice something is a bit whacky.

FOR FURTHER READING:
PLANTS OF THE WORLD ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
INTERNATIONAL PLANT NAMES INDEX (GENUS/SPECIES)
TROPICOS (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF MISSOURI (GENUS/SPECIES)
FLORA OF NORTH AMERICA (GENUS/SPECIES)
WORLD FLORA ONLINE (GENUS/SPECIES)
WIKIPEDIA (GENUS)
USDA PLANTS DATABASE
DAVE’S GARDEN
MISSOURI PLANTS
iNATURALIST
WILDFLOWER SEARCH
ILLINOIS WILDFLOWERS
NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY
HERBAL PREPPER
SCIENCE DIRECT
GO BOTANY
RESEARCH GATE
LADY BIRD JOHNSON WILDFLOWER CENTER
MARYLAND BIODIVERSITY PROJECT
VIRGINIA TECH WEED ID
SEINet
SARE

NOTE: The data (figures, maps, accepted names, etc.) may not match on these websites. It depends on when and how they make updates and when their sources make updates. Some websites have hundreds and thousands of species to keep up with. Accepted scientific names change periodically and can be hard to keep with. Some of the links may use a name that is a synonym on other sites. In my opinion, Plants of the World Online by Kew is one of the most reliable and up-to-date plant databases and they make updates regularly. I make updates “at least” once a year and when I write new pages or add new photos but I do get behind. We are all a work in progress. 🙂

A FEW MORE PHOTOS…

 

 

I think this photo and the one below were taken of plants in the pasture south of the barn… Where the plants were in 2022.