Sida elliottii Torr. & A. Gray

Elliott's Fanpetals; Coastal Plain Sida

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Elliott's Fanpetals is a native perennial herb or subshrub in the Hibiscus family (Malvaceae). It can be found at scattered locations across Alabama. Elliott's Fanpetals occurs in prairies, in scrub oak woods, in sand hills, in xeric sandy Longleaf pine woods, and on disturbed sites. It is a perennial with a tap root. Stems are 1-3 feet in height, erect, green or purplish in color, slightly pubescent to glabrous, and scantly branched. The stems are very tough and wiry. Leaves are alternate, petiolate, linear to narrowly elliptic in outline, with toothed margins. The leaves are slightly hairy on the lower surface and glabrous on the upper surface. The petiole of the leaf is shorter than the blade, and the blade often has a purplish margin. Flowers are solitary in the axils of the leaves. Each flower has 5 yellow-orange petals and numerous stamens. The fruit is a schizocarp with 8-11 mericarps. Elliott's Fanpetals is listed as an S2 species in Alabama (typically 6 to 20 occurrences, few remaining individuals, acres, or miles of stream, or factors demonstrably making it very vulnerable in the state), and globally as a G4G5 species (G4 - imperiled globally because of rarity (6 - 20 occurrences, or few remaining acres, or miles of stream) or very vulnerable to extinction throughout its range because of other factors--G5 - demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery).—A. Diamond

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Native S2 (State Rank) G4G5 (Global Rank)

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