Scientific Family
Malvaceae
Synonyms
Sida lepidota var. sagittifolia, Sida leprosa var. sagittifolia. Clem., Sida sagittifolia
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Similar species
Malvella leprosa
Height
To 4 inches
Riparian
Yes
Low-growing plant with trailing, silvery, scaly stems that are clustered at the base. Green spearhead-shaped leaves are covered with silvery-white scale-like spots. Pale yellow cup-shaped flowers tinged pink grow singly between the leaves and the stem.
Perennial, stems clustered from base, trailing, silvery, covered with small scales (white dots); leaves much longer than broad, narrowly triangular, 2 to 4 spreading lobes at base, smooth margined; flowers solitary, pale yellow tinged pink, in leaf axils.
Habitat
Often found in areas with heavy, saline soils and poor drainage, along roadsides, on mud or clay flats, along lake shores and on desert pans or playas (areas of flat, dried up land, especially a desert basin from which water evaporates quickly).
Plant Community
Riparian
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
800
High elevation
6000
Flower Characteristics
Flowers have a cup-like shape with 5 overlapping petals each about 1/2 inch long. Flowers are a pale yellow (rarely white) and tinged pink especially with age. They grow singly from the leaf axils (between the leaf and the stem) rising above the foliage.
Flower color
Pale yellow, tinged pink
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
March
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves are narrowly triangular with 2 to 4 lobes at the base that extend outward, 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long, leaves are 3 to 5 times as long as wide. Leaf surfaces are covered with silvery-white star-shaped hair-like scales (lepidote).
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green, silvery-white scales
Leaf shape
Triangular
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
The fruit is called a shizocarp. It's dry, about 1/4 inch wide with a rounded shape that is flattened slightly at the top and bottom. It has 7 to 8 united parts (segments) that do not break apart when the fruit reaches maturity.
Fruit type
Other
Each individual segment of the fruit is called a "mericarp" and has a single hairless seed.