Genetic status of <i>Sida</i> in North India

Cytological investigations were carried out on 87 accessions of Sida species collected from the regions of North India. The study showed the occurrence of six species of Sida in the region, namely, Sida acuta, S. cordata, S. cordifolia, S. keralensis, S. mysorensis, and S. rhombifolia. S. acuta, S. cordifolia, and S. keralensis showed the presence of a gametophytic chromosome number of n=14, while S. cordata and S. mysorensis showed n=16 chromosomes. All these species were thus observed to be tetraploid based on x=7. The accessions of S. rhombifolia were observed to be diploid with n=7. The phylogenetic analysis showed the prevalence of two genetically distinct clades within the genus. The study provides novel data about the genetic status of Sida from the study area, particularly for S. keralensis.