Sida keralensis (Malvaceae): a new species from Kerala, India

Abstract

A new species of Sida, S. keralensis is described with photographs from the southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India. It is morphologically similar to Sida scabrida but clearly distinct by being an undershrub with adpressed stellate hairy stem, discolorous ovate or narrowly ovate to elliptic-ovate leaves with rounded-subcordate base, acute apex and crenate-serrate margins from the base; the linear-lanceolate to slightly falcate stipules, the fairly shorter floral and fruiting pedicels more or less equal to the stipules, fairly long staminal columns and the glabrescent mericarps with stellately pubescent awns.