spurred anoda
Family
MalvaceaeScientific Name
Anoda cristataOther Common Names:
crested anoda
Synonyms (former Scientific Names):
Anoda acerifolia
Sida cristata
Anoda lavaterioides
Habit
Spurred anoda is freely branching from the base and may reach 3 1/2 feet in height. This plant has a low growing, spreading habit and the stems can spread four to five feet from the taproot. The leaves are alternate, 1 1/2 to 3 inches long, and are usually triangular or arrowhead-shaped.
Leaves
Erect annual with alternate, triangular-shaped leaves that are coarsely toothed. Alternate, hairy on both surfaces, approximately 2 to 4 inches long, and triangular in outline. Leaves are coarsely toothed and have three distinct lobes. Leaf petioles often have stipules at the base.
Identifying Characteristics
Seedlings with 1 round and 1 heart-shaped cotyledon, and plants with triangular-shaped, coarsely-toothed leaves.
Flower Seed Head
Solitary flowers arise from the area between the petioles and the stem (leaf axils). Flowers are 7 to 12 mm wide with petals that are light blue to lavender in color.
Seed Fruit
A capsule containing 10 to 20 segments each with one 2.8 to 3.2 mm long kidney-shaped brown or black seed.
Where Found
Primarily a weed of agronomic crops found in the southern United States. Fields, roadsides, and waste places.
Growth Habit
upright and nonwoody
Thorns or Spines
not present
Approximate Flower Diameter
Varies:
pencil,
dime
Dominant Flower Color
Varies:
white,
blue,
purple
Flower Symmetry
radial symmetery
Leaf Hairs
has hairs
Leaf Shape
Varies:
oval,
triangle
Leaf Arrangement
alternate
Leaf Margin
Varies:
lobed,
serrated
Leaf Structure
simple
Leaf Stalk
Varies:
shorter than leaf,
longer than leaf
Stem Hairs
has hairs
Stem Cross Section
round or oval
Milky Sap
not present
Root Structure
fibrous
Life Cycle
summer annual
Ochrea
not present
Plant Type
Herb