Genus Sida is a perennial plant with delicate yellow or white blooms on stiff, almost woody stems. The stems are used to make brooms, giving it another common name "broom jute." It is also used to make cord and twine. Traditional medicinal applications include: pounded leaves are used to relieve swelling, the fruits are used to relieve headache, the mucilage is used as an emollient, and the root is used to treat rheumatism .