Sidalcea diploscypha
Sidalcea nelsoniana
fringe checker mallow, fringe checkerbloom
Nelson's checker-mallow, Nelson's checkerbloom
single, erect, usually branched distally, solid, both short-stellate-puberulent and long soft bristly-hairy, hairs erect.
clustered, erect, base decumbent-ascending, solid or ± hollow in age, usually ± glaucous distally, glabrous or sparsely hirtellous, hairs short, appressed, simple.
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.
basal and cauline;
stipules sometimes deciduous, lanceolate to ovate, (4–)7–9(–14) × (1.2–)3–4 mm;
petioles of proximal leaves 18–37 cm, 3–5 times as long as blades, distal 5–20 cm, to 1/2–1 times as long as blades;
blades: basal reniform to rounded, unlobed and marginally deeply crenate or very shallowly palmately 5–7-lobed, 6–20 × 6–20 cm, base cordate, apex rounded;
cauline deeply 5–9-lobed, lobes linear-elliptic to oblong-elliptic, margins usually entire, sometimes toothed, surfaces finely, sparsely hairy, hairs mostly simple.
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, spiciform, proximally open, distally dense, otherwise calyces not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in bud, branched, 20+-flowered, proximalmost flowers spaced usually to 1 cm apart, not leafy-bracted, elongate, not 1-sided, 10–20 cm;
bracts single, purple, mm, hairy;
anthers white;
stigmas (6 or)7 or 8.
1–3 mm, (short branches may easily be mistaken for pedicels);
involucellar bractlets absent.
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.
2 mm.
1.5 mm.
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.
4–5 mm diam.;
mericarps (6 or)7 or 8, 2 mm, roughened, sparsely glandular-puberulent apically, sides finely reticulate to faintly rugose, sometimes also on back, to nearly smooth, not pitted, mucro 0.5–1 mm.
= 20.
= 20.
Sidalcea diploscypha
Sidalcea nelsoniana
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.)
Of conservation concern.
Sidalcea nelsoniana is uncommon and persists generally in degraded habitats. It resembles S. campestris and S. virgata, with similar ranges, but is generally less hairy and has a smaller, usually purplish calyx. It has been listed as endangered in Washington and as threatened in Oregon; the number of populations and individuals has greatly declined as a result of land development. It is found in the Willamette Valley area from Multnomah and Washington to Benton and Linn counties in Oregon, and in Cowlitz and Lewis counties in Washington.
Sidalcea nelsoniana is in the Center for Plant Conservation’s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
OR
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
WA
