SIDA, a genus of plants of the natural order Malvacem. 34 species are known to occur in the E. Indies, amongst them— S. acuta, Burm. Kureta, Bengal, both Peninsulas.
S. alba, Linn., 'Nag-bula, Nag-barjala, Bengal, Coro mandel.
S. cordifolia, Linn., Barjala, Bengal, both Peninsulas. S. cuneifolia, Linn.
S. humilis, TVilld., Bengal, both Peninsulas.
S. microphylla, Cur., Bengal.
S. retusa, Linn. Bengal, both Peninsulas.
S. rhombifolia, Lal-barjala, Bengal.
S. rhomboidea, Shwet-barjala, Bengal, both Peninsulas.
S. periplocifolia, — ? Malayana.
S. tilimfolia, — ? China, India.
The species vary much in habit and in the structure of their fruit and seeds, but they resemble each other in abounding in mucilage, and in some of them having tough ligneous fibres, which are employed for cordage. Several are employed as demulcents in India, in the same way that the mallow and the marsh-mallow are in Europe. S. rhomboidea and S. rhombifolia abound in very delicate fla.x-like fibres, which may be used for many of the same purposes as hemp and flax ; but when the plants are grown for the sake of their fibres, they ought to be sown thick ; under which circumstances, like other plants similarly SOIVII, they grow tall and slender without branches. S. periplocifolia, a native of
tho Malay Islands, which succeed.s well in India, may be cultivated for the same 'object, especially as when cut near the earth it quickly shoots into long simple twigs, which abound in flax-like fibres. S. tilitefolia, T'sing-ma from Pekin, is cultivated for this purpose in China as a substi tute for hemp and flax. S. lanceolate is the Vishabuddi of Telingana. The Sida hemp, or flax of Burma, is the product of S. acuta and S. stipulate (Burmese, Pyen - dan - gna - len). They are mere weeds, but the most troublesome in Tavoy.—Roxburgh ; Mason; Eng. Cyc. ; IV.
; Voigt ; Hogg.