The green links below add additional plants to the comparison table. Blue links lead to other Web sites.
enable glossary links

fringe checker mallow, fringe checkerbloom

chaparral checkerbloom, Hickman's checkerbloom

Habit Herbs, annual, 0.2–0.7 m, not glaucous, with taproot. Herbs, perennial, 0.1–0.8 m, not glaucous, with thick, woody taproot or caudex, without rhizomes.
Stems

single, erect, usually branched distally, solid, both short-stellate-puberulent and long soft bristly-hairy, hairs erect.

several to many (ca. 3–20+), clustered, erect to ascending, branched or unbranched, solid, usually densely stellate-canescent.

Leaves

basal, early-deciduous, and cauline;

mid to distal stem stipules divided into 2–5 filiform or linear segments, involucrelike, 10+ × 1 mm;

petiole (4–)6–20(–50) cm, usually 1/2 times to as long as blade;

basal leaf blades orbiculate, unlobed, 1–2.5 × 1–2.5 cm, base cordate, margins crenate, apex rounded;

cauline leaf blades orbiculate, palmately 5–7-lobed, (1–)2–6 × (1–)2–6 cm, lobes linear distally, sometimes 3-toothed or -lobed, then midtooth or lobe much longer than laterals, margins entire, surfaces bristly-puberulent.

cauline, evenly arrayed on stem, usually similar in size, shape;

stipules linear-lanceolate to ovate, 2–9 × 1–3 mm, widest above base, width sometimes exceeding stem diam.;

petiole 0.6–3(–9) cm, 1/2–3 times as long as blade, apex often with pulvinus;

blade orbiculate or reniform to flabelliform, unlobed and margins coarsely crenate to shallowly or deeply lobed, 1–7 × 1–7 cm, usually wider than long, base truncate or cordate, apex rounded, surfaces stellate-hairy.

Inflorescences

erect, dense, calyces overlapping, occasionally short-branched, clusters to 10-flowered, subumbellate to elongate in age, not 1-sided;

bracts linear or filiform, palmately 2–7-lobed, 8–12 mm, lobes linear, usually becoming involucrelike, 1–2.5 cm, subequal to or longer than calyx.

erect, infrequently ascending, usually spiciform, dense or open, calyces overlapping or not, branched or unbranched, 2–20+-flowered, proximal flowers scattered, usually more congested distally, not notably elongate in flower, not 1-sided, (1.5–)3–25 cm, usually longer in fruit;

bracts linear to ovate-lanceolate or oblong, undivided, 2-fid, or divided, 2–8(–12) mm, not involucrelike, distal entire to 2-fid, stipulelike, proximalmost not involucrelike, divided to base, much shorter than to nearly equaling calyx.

Pedicels

1–3 mm, (short branches may easily be mistaken for pedicels);

involucellar bractlets absent.

1–4(–5) mm;

involucellar bractlets (2 or)3, 2–10 mm, shorter to slightly longer than calyx.

Flowers

bisexual;

calyx 8–12 mm, not much accrescent, lobes often with narrow purple line or spot at lobe base inside, outer surface bristly-hairy and stellate-puberulent, seldom densely glandular, multicellular hairs usually few or absent;

petals dark pink to deep purple, veins often paler, darker patch sometimes at base, 20–35 mm;

staminal column 4–6 mm, hairy;

anthers sessile on rim, white;

stigmas 5 or 6.

usually bisexual, infrequently unisexual and pistillate;

calyx 4–12 mm, densely to sparsely stellate-puberulent to long-bristly;

petals usually pale pink to pink-lavender, rarely white, veins not conspicuously whitened, 5–17 mm;

staminal column 4–7 mm, hairy;

anthers white to pale pinkish or pale yellow;

stigmas (4–)6 or 7(–10).

Seeds

2 mm.

1–2 mm.

Schizocarps

6–7 mm diam.;

mericarps 5 or 6, sometimes pinkish when fresh, 2.5 mm, glabrous, back minutely hairy, back and sides reticulate-veined, back with prominent midvein, not pitted, mucro absent.

4–7 mm diam.;

mericarps usually (4–)6 or 7(–10), (1.5–)2–2.5 mm, glabrous, sides usually smooth, thin, margins and back usually lightly reticulate-veined, transversely corrugated, back usually with medial, raised line, not pitted, mucro absent.

2n

= 20.

Sidalcea diploscypha

Sidalcea hickmanii

Phenology Flowering Apr–May(–Jun).
Habitat Grasslands, open woodlands, valleys, near vernal pools, usually on serpentine
Elevation 0–900 m (0–3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sidalcea diploscypha is widespread in central and northern California and occurs also in Douglas County, Oregon, where it is apparently introduced. Young plants, even in flower, may resemble S. keckii, and transitional plants are known; S. diploscypha generally differs from S. keckii by its longer divided bracts, usually entire lobes on its distal stem leaves, simple bristles on the calyx, bristles absent at the standard mucro position on the mericarp, relatively few glandular and multicellular hairs, and generally clustered flowers and fruits. Plants in Colusa, Napa, Solano, and Yolo counties, California, are sometimes hard to distinguish from S. keckii, and vice versa. Some plants in Butte and Lake counties, California, also show some transitional features; none have yet been assigned to S. keckii.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Sidalcea hickmanii is found in isolated populations from southern California to southwestern Oregon and appears to have a relict distribution. K. Andreasen and B. G. Baldwin (2001, 2003) suggested that it is basal within Sidalcea. It is distinctive in having three (normally two in subsp. petraea) involucellar bractlets attached to the calyx, no mucro on the mericarps, and leaves that are almost the same size and shape throughout the stem. Each subspecies apparently represents a distinct relictual colony; the sexuality of these is not well known because of the paucity of specimens. As in many sidalceas, this species in particular appears to be fire-dependent.

Subspecies 7 (7 in the flora).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Leaf blades usually lobed, incised ± to base; California
→ 2
1. Leaf blades unlobed, incised to 1/2 length; California, Oregon
→ 3
2. Bracts (7–)10–12 mm, equaling or shorter than calyx; c San Luis Obispo County.
subsp. anomala
2. Bracts 5.5–7 mm, shorter than calyx; Napa County.
subsp. napensis
3. Involucellar bractlets 2(–3); petals white to pale pink; flowers bisexual or pistillate; sw Oregon.
subsp. petraea
3. Involucellar bractlets 3; petals pink, pale pink, pinkish lavender, or pale lavender; flowers bisexual; California
→ 4
4. Bracts broadly lanceolate, 5–7(–10) × 2.5–4 mm, slightly shorter than calyx; involucellar bractlets equaling or slightly shorter than calyx; leaf blades: distal unlobed or incised to 1/4 length; Santa Barbara and San Bernardino counties.
subsp. parishii
5. Plants 0.4–0.8 m; stems brick red, greenish, or grayish; calyces stellate-puberulent, hairs longest at margins; involucellar bractlets 2–7 mm; largest leaf blades deeply cordate, 2.5–7 cm wide; inflorescences dense; Monterey County.
subsp. hickmanii
6. Bracts of distal flowers 1, cupped; leaf blades 0.6–1.5 × 0.7–2.2 cm; stems distally stellate-hairy, hairs appressed, 0.2–0.5 mm; plants 0.1–0.4 m; inflorescences not spiciform, to 10-flowered; calyces 4–5.5 mm; n Lake County.
subsp. pillsburiensis
6. Bracts of distal flowers usually 2, flat or cupped; leaf blades (1–)2–4 × (1–)2.7 cm; stems distally hairy, hairs tufted, 0.5–1.2 mm; plants (0.2–)0.3(–0.4) m; inflorescences spiciform in age, 10+-flowered; calyces 6–7 mm; Marin County.
subsp. viridis
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 330. FNA vol. 6, p. 334.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sidalcea Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sidalcea
Sibling taxa
S. asprella, S. calycosa, S. campestris, S. candida, S. celata, S. covillei, S. cusickii, S. elegans, S. gigantea, S. glaucescens, S. hartwegii, S. hendersonii, S. hickmanii, S. hirsuta, S. hirtipes, S. keckii, S. malachroides, S. malviflora, S. multifida, S. nelsoniana, S. neomexicana, S. oregana, S. pedata, S. ranunculacea, S. reptans, S. robusta, S. setosa, S. sparsifolia, S. stipularis, S. virgata
S. asprella, S. calycosa, S. campestris, S. candida, S. celata, S. covillei, S. cusickii, S. diploscypha, S. elegans, S. gigantea, S. glaucescens, S. hartwegii, S. hendersonii, S. hirsuta, S. hirtipes, S. keckii, S. malachroides, S. malviflora, S. multifida, S. nelsoniana, S. neomexicana, S. oregana, S. pedata, S. ranunculacea, S. reptans, S. robusta, S. setosa, S. sparsifolia, S. stipularis, S. virgata
Subordinate taxa
S. hickmanii subsp. anomala, S. hickmanii subsp. hickmanii, S. hickmanii subsp. napensis, S. hickmanii subsp. parishii, S. hickmanii subsp. petraea, S. hickmanii subsp. pillsburiensis, S. hickmanii subsp. viridis
Synonyms Sida diploscypha, S. diploscypha var. minor, S. secundiflora
Name authority (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 19. (1849) Greene: Pittonia 1: 139. (1887)
Web links