== Origin and geographic distribution ==
''Sida'' is a large tropical and subtropical genus comprising 150-200 species. About two thirds of these species occur only in the New World, but some are restricted to South-East Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands or Africa. Several species, like ''S. acuta'' , ''S. cordifolia'' and ''S. rhombifolia'', have been widely distributed throughout the tropics for over a century
== Uses ==