Subshrubs erect, to 2 m tall; stems densely stellate woolly. Leaves dimorphic; stipules subulate, 3-5 mm, caducous; petiole of lower leaves ca. 2 mm, of upper leaves 8-10 mm, densely shortly stellate woolly; blades on proximal part of stem ovate, 4-7 × ca. 3 cm, both surfaces densely shortly stellate woolly, base nearly rounded, margin crenate, apex acute, those on distal part of stem linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, 2-4 × 0.5-1 cm. Flowers solitary, axillary or terminal. Pedicel 1.5-3 cm, densely shortly stellate woolly and with long silk hairs, articulate near apex. Calyx cup-shaped, ca. 8 mm, abaxially densely stellate woolly, lobes triangular, apices acute. Corolla yellow; petals ca. 14 mm. Filament tube ca. 6 mm, hirsute. Schizocarp ± disk-shaped, ca. 6 mm in diam.; mericarps 8 or 9, ca. 4 mm, wrinkled, minutely hairy, apex not awned. Fl. autumn-winter.

The status of Chinese plants named as Sida orientalis needs more investigation. Borssum Waalkes (Blumea 14: 197. 1966) identified possible type material of S. orientalis as the following species, S. acuta N. L. Burman. The material identified by Hu (Fl. China, Malvaceae [Fam. 153], 14. 1955) as S. orientalis is much more closely related to S. rhombifolia Linnaeus, differing only by the absence of mericarp awns, a feature that is not as reliable as assumed by most authors, as specimens have been seen with both awned and awnless mericarps on the same plant.

● Sunny dry slopes; 1000-2300 m. Taiwan, S Yunnan [?India].