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glaucous checker mallow, waxy checker mallow, waxy checkerbloom

California checkerbloom, checkerbloom, checkermallow, dwarf checker-mallow, dwarf checkerbloom, wild hollyhock

Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.2–0.5(–0.7) m, glaucous, with taproot and caudex, without rhizomes. Herbs, perennial, colonial or not, 0.2–0.6(–1.1) m, not glaucous, with woody caudex, usually with woody taproot, without rhizomes or rhizomes not cordlike, 3–10 mm diam.
Stems

usually few to many, clustered, sprawling or decumbent to ascending, rarely erect, not rooting, solid, glaucous, proximally usually stellate-puberulent, sometimes glabrous, distally glabrous.

clustered or scattered, erect to ascending, or decumbent to suberect, sometimes rooting, unbranched or branched, solid, usually densely to sparsely hirsute, stellate-hairy, or glabrescent, hairs 1–2 mm, distal stem usually more sparsely hairy to glabrate.

Leaves

basal and cauline, basal leaves 9 or fewer or deciduous;

stipules lanceolate, (2–)3–5(–6) × 0.5–1.5 mm;

petioles of basal and proximal cauline leaves 6–14 cm, 3–4 times as long as blades, reduced distally to 1/2 times to as long as blades;

blade reniform-orbiculate, palmately 5(–7)-lobed, deeply incised, 2–6(–8) × 2–6(–8) cm, glaucous, surfaces glabrous or minutely stellate-puberulent, lobes shallowly dentate, more deeply divided on distal leaves, margins entire, distalmost sometimes linear, unlobed.

basal and/or cauline;

stipules green or purplish, linear-lanceolate or wide-lanceolate to oblong or ovate, 3–8(–12) × 1–3.5(–5) mm, often hairy to ciliate;

petioles of proximalmost leaves (5–)6–15(–30) cm, 3–9 times as long as blades, much reduced distally to 1/2–2 times as long as blade;

blades: proximalmost usually orbiculate, sometimes reniform, unlobed or shallowly lobed, (1–)4–15 × (1–)4–12 cm, base cordate, margins crenate, apex rounded, surfaces hairy, hairs stiff, either or both simple and stellate or forked, lobes cuneate-obovate, margins dentate;

mid stem unlobed or palmately 5–9-lobed, margins coarsely crenate-serrate, lobes toothed or lobed to dissected;

distalmost smaller, sometimes subsessile.

Inflorescences

ascending, open, calyces not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in bud, usually unbranched, 3–10(–20)-flowered, elongate, 1-sided, 8–20 cm, axis curved between flowers, sometimes zigzag in appearance;

bracts linear to lanceolate, distinct or connate and 2-fid, 5 mm, proximal divided to base, distal often undivided, shorter than to equaling pedicels.

erect or somewhat ascending, dense, subcapitate or spicate especially when young to elongated and open, calyces overlapping or not, not long-pedunculate, usually unbranched, 2–21-flowered, usually light or bright pink to lavender or dark rose-purple, rarely white, pale-veined, 7–20(–30) mm, pistillate 7–11(–30) mm, bisexual 10–25(–30) mm;

staminal column 4–8 mm, hairy;

anthers white to pale pink or pale yellow;

stigmas (6 or)7 or 8(or 9).

Pedicels

2–3(–10) mm;

involucellar bractlets absent.

Flowers

bisexual or unisexual and pistillate, plants gynodioecious;

calyx 5–10 mm, enlarging in fruit, hairy, hairs scattered, minute, stellate and sometimes capitate, glandular;

petals pink to pink-purple, pale-veined at least when dry, pistillate (7–)9–12 mm, bisexual 15–20(–25) mm;

staminal column 4–7 mm, stellate-hairy;

anthers pale yellow or pinkish to white;

stigmas 6–8.

Seeds

2 mm.

1.5–3 mm.

Schizocarps

5–7 mm diam.;

mericarps 6–8, 3–3.5 mm, roughened, sides reticulate-veined and deeply pitted, back reticulate-veined and glandular-puberulent, mucro 0.3–1 mm.

4–8 mm diam.;

mericarps (6 or)7 or 8(or 9), 2.5–4 mm, usually minutely hirtellous, stellate-puberulent, or glandular, rarely glabrous, roughened, sides ± honeycomb-pitted and reticulate-veined, back less so, mucro 0.3–1 mm.

2n

= 40.

= 20, 40, 60.

Sidalcea glaucescens

Sidalcea malviflora

Phenology Flowering (May–)Jun–Aug(–Sep).
Habitat Dry, grassy meadows, open, usually red fir, juniper, or ponderosa pine forests, often serpentine
Elevation (900–)1500–3000 m ((3000–)4900–9800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sidalcea glaucescens is a relatively common, generally low-growing plant of relatively high elevations; it occurs from the central and northern Sierra Nevada to the southern Cascade and Klamath ranges and to north of Reno, Nevada. It usually can be distinguished by its highly glaucous, waxy stems and leaves, 3–5-lobed, entire-margined leaves, and basal leaves that wither by the time fruit is mature; additionally, proximal flowers are spaced several centimeters apart and leafy-bracted, and the inflorescence axis is curved between flowers. It has been confused with S. asprella, S. elegans, and S. multifida, to which it appears to be closely related. It can generally be distinguished from S. multifida by its 5(–7)-lobed leaves, the lobes shallowly incised or entire, its nonpersisting, fewer basal leaves, and its more-procumbent habit. Sidalcea elegans and S. virgata in southwestern Oregon also have been confused with S. glaucescens.

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

Sidalcea malviflora includes local variants and intermediates. It was first described as a coastal taxon; later researchers subsequently included interior populations that shared a few characteristics. Molecular study has shown that the majority of the interior plants are not very closely related to the coastal forms; the species is again considered to be primarily coastal. Two inland taxa remain, subspp. californica and dolosa.

Sidalcea malviflora can generally be distinguished by its coastal distribution, its decumbent-based stems, its relatively short pedicels, its relatively large and showy petals that usually have conspicuous whitish veins, especially when dry, and its generally prominently reticulate-pitted and usually glandular-puberulent mericarps that have a mucro. The leaves can be extremely variable, from unlobed to highly dissected; the indument tends to be harsh to the touch.

Subspecies 7 (7 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Inflorescences usually dense, flowers obviously overlapping, fruits either congested or spaced and not overlapping on elongated axis
→ 2
1. Inflorescences usually open, elongate, flowers not obviously overlapping except in bud, axis elongated in flower, fruit not congested
→ 3
2. Rhizomes freely rooting; leaves at midstem usually lobed; stems softly bristly-hairy proximally, stellate-hairy distally, usually not densely.
subsp. patula
2. Rhizomes not freely rooting; leaves at midstem unlobed; stems densely, softly bristly-hairy or stellate-hairy.
subsp. rostrata
3. Leaves: blades, except proximalmost, deeply lobed, lobes ternate or dissected, segments linear (Geranium-like); stem base usually decumbent, often rooting.
subsp. laciniata
5. Leaf blades: basal 1–2(–2.5) cm wide; calyces and stipules purplish; stems glabrous, short stellate-hairy, or sparsely bristly.
subsp. purpurea
5. Leaf blades: basal 2–6 cm wide; calyces and stipules usually green, not purple tinted (except sometimes at base of stipule only); stems softly bristly-hairy or stellate-hairy.
subsp. rostrata
6. Stem base hairy, hairs simple, soft, 2 mm; mericarps slightly reticulate-veined, wrinkled; rhizomes usually 10+ cm, freely rooting, sometimes matted; calyces sparsely stellate-puberulent and hirsute-bristly; San Bernardino Mountains.
subsp. dolosa
6. Stem base hairy, hairs stellate and/or simple, to 2 mm; mericarps strongly reticulate-veined, wrinkled or pitted; rhizomes usually to 10 cm, not freely rooting, not matted; calyces usually densely simple- or stellate-hairy; s outer South Coast and w Transverse ranges from Monterey to Los Angeles counties
→ 7
7. Stems usually stellate-hairy and/or spreading-bristly to glabrate; calyces densely stellate-puberulent and coarsely bristly; petals: bisexual 15–29 mm; coastal and insular.
subsp. malviflora
7. Stems densely, softly velvety stellate-hairy, hairs 1 mm; calyces densely stellate-puberulent; petals: bisexual 10–30 mm; inland.
subsp. californica
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 333. FNA vol. 6, p. 340.
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. diploscypha, S. elegans, S. gigantea, 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. hickmanii, S. hirsuta, S. hirtipes, S. keckii, S. malachroides, 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. malviflora subsp. californica, S. malviflora subsp. dolosa, S. malviflora subsp. laciniata, S. malviflora subsp. malviflora, S. malviflora subsp. patula, S. malviflora subsp. purpurea, S. malviflora subsp. rostrata
Synonyms S. montana Sida malviflora, Nuttallia malviflora
Name authority Greene: Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 77. (1885) (de Candolle) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 16. (1852)
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