Paddy's lucerne, Spiny sida
Sida alba
Family: Malvaceae
What it is like
A small herb or shrub. It grows 30-80 cm high. The leaves have stalks and are arranged in spirals. They are oval but taper towards the tip. There are teeth along the edge. The teeth are small, blunt and of equal size. There is often a small 1 mm long peg below the leaf stalk and a pair of bristle like leaf structures 4-5 mm long on each side. The flowers are small and white or pale yellow. The flower stalk usually has a swelling a little below the flower. The flowers open early in the morning. The fruit are round and in 5 sections.
There are about 100 Sida species.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It often grows in wet areas on alluvial soils and flood plains near rivers. It grows in hot arid zones with a marked dry season. It grows between 120-1,465 m above sea level. It can tolerate shade. It can grow in arid places.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Angola, Australia, Benin, Bhutan, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canary Islands, Cape Verde, Central Africa, Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, Gambia, Ghana, Himalayas, India, Ivory Coast, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mediterranean, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, North Africa, Pakistan, Reunion, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, South America, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, USA, West Africa, West Indies, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
How it is used for food
The leaves are cooked and eaten. They are also used in relishes and chutneys.
Edible parts
Leaves, vegetable
How it is grown
The young leaves are plucked off the plant.
Its other names
Local names
Am gonaba, Chichibe, Gem thok, Katelko, Ladha, Lute, Orucuhya, Um hebiba, Um