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glaucous checker mallow, waxy checker mallow, waxy checkerbloom

Butte County checkerbloom

Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.2–0.5(–0.7) m, glaucous, with taproot and caudex, without rhizomes. Herbs, perennial, (0.5–)0.8–1.2(–1.8) m, glaucous, with caudex and usually well-developed rhizomes to 0.5 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.

often single, usually scattered, erect, usually unbranched, solid or somewhat hollow in age, proximally densely, finely stellate-hairy, hairs spreading, distally glaucous, glabrous.

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.

cauline, mostly on abaxially, bristly-hirsute adaxially.

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, open, calyces not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in bud, usually unbranched, loosely 10+-flowered, flowers 1+ cm apart, elongate, sometimes 1-sided, 30–40(–45) cm;

bracts inconspicuous, lanceolate to linear, distal unlobed, 2–4 mm, proximal divided ± to base, 4–6 mm, usually equaling or shorter than pedicels.

Pedicels

2–3(–10) mm;

involucellar bractlets absent.

2–5 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.

usually bisexual, sometimes pistillate, plants gynodioecious;

calyx 10–15 mm, uniformly, densely stellate-puberulent;

petals: bisexual pale pink, often drying yellowish, pale-veined or not, base pale pink to white, (15–)20–35 mm, pistillate usually darker purple, base white, 5(–10) mm;

staminal column 6–8 mm, hairy;

anthers white;

stigmas (6 or)7 or 8.

Seeds

2 mm.

2–2.5 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.

6–8 mm diam.;

mericarps (6 or)7 or 8, 3–3.5 mm, usually glabrous or very sparsely glandular-puberulent, distinctly narrowly wing-margined dorsally, sides lightly reticulate-veined, pitted, back less so, mucro 0.3–0.5 mm.

2n

= 40.

= 20.

Sidalcea glaucescens

Sidalcea robusta

Phenology Flowering (May–)Jun–Aug(–Sep). Flowering Apr–May(–Jun).
Habitat Dry, grassy meadows, open, usually red fir, juniper, or ponderosa pine forests, often serpentine Dry banks in chaparral at ecotone with foothill woodlands, often basaltic soil, with Quercus douglasii
Elevation (900–)1500–3000 m ((3000–)4900–9800 ft) 100–400(–1300) m (300–1300(–4300) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[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.)

Of conservation concern.

Sidalcea robusta is one of the taller species of Sidalcea and can be distinguished also by its relatively long inflorescences with widely-spaced, showy flowers, its limited range, and its winged mericarps are notable. Rare and threatened by development, it is known from Butte County in the southern Cascade Range foothills and the northern Sierra Nevada foothills.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 333. FNA vol. 6, p. 353.
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. malviflora, S. multifida, S. nelsoniana, S. neomexicana, S. oregana, S. pedata, S. ranunculacea, S. reptans, S. setosa, S. sparsifolia, S. stipularis, S. virgata
Synonyms S. montana S. asprella var. robusta
Name authority Greene: Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 77. (1885) A. Heller ex Roush: Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 18: 205. (1931)
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