[330]
Sida Cristata. Crested Sida.
Class and Order.
Monadelphia Polyandria.
Generic Character.
Cal. simplex, angulatus. Stylus multipartitus. Caps. plures 1-spermæ.
Specific Character and Synonyms.
SIDA cristata foliis angulatis, inferioribus cordatis, superioribus panduriformibus, capsulis multilocularibus. Sp. Pl. ed. 3. p. 964. Syst. Veg. ed. 14. Murr. p. 623. Ait. Kew. v. 2. p. 444. Cavanill. Diss. 1. t. 11. f. 2.
ABUTILON Lavateræ flore, fructu cristato. Dill. Elth. t. 2.
ANODA hastata. Linn. Syst. Nat. ed. Gmel. p. 1040.
No. 330
Dillenius has figured and described this plant in his Hortus Elthamensis as an Abutilon: Linnæus in his Sp. Pl. has ranked it with the Sida's, in which he has been followed by Prof. Murray, Messrs. Aiton and Cavanille; but Prof. Gmelin, in the last edition of Linnæus' Syst. Nat. has made another new genus of it, by the name of Anoda; as his reasons for so doing are by no means cogent, we join the majority in continuing it a Sida.
It flowered in the garden of Mr. Sherard, at Eltham, in 1725, and was introduced from Mexico, where it is a native: Mr. Aiton considers it a stove plant, as he does the Tropæolum majus, and other natives of South-America; strictly speaking they may be such, but if raised early, and treated like other tender annuals, this plant will flower and ripen its seeds in the open ground, as we have experienced at Brompton.
It grows to the height of three feet, or more, producing during the months of July and August a number of blossoms in succession, which are large and shewy; the stigmata in this flower are curious objects, resembling the heads of Fungi in miniature.