Abstract Sida is a large genus with about 200 species distributed throughout the world. This genus is of greatimportanc in the Indian traditional system of medicine and this is perhaps the most widely used rawdrug in the production of different Ayurvedic formulations. It is known as ‘Bala’ in Sanskrit. The correctidentity of Bala remains controversial as the terminology used is quiet confusing due to the prevalenceof several synonyms for the same plant and several forms having similar names. [avf_view name="Article Addons" view-id="66d98451c48e3"]