Sidalcea multifida
Sidalcea keckii
cut leaf checker mallow, cut-leaf checkerbloom
Keck's checkerbloom
clustered, usually erect or ascending, sometimes proximally decumbent or prostrate, not rooting, solid, sparsely to densely appressed stellate-hairy.
single, erect, sometimes branched distally, solid, short-stellate-puberulent and long, soft bristly-hairy, distally with multicellular trichomes intermixed, hairs erect.
mostly basal, persistent, to 10+;
stipules linear-lanceolate to elliptic, 5–6 × 2 mm on proximal stem, 4–5 × 0.5 mm on distal stem;
petiole 5.5–16 cm, basal 3–5 times longer than blades, reduced distally to 1/2 times as long as blades;
blades: basal reniform-orbiculate, palmately (5–)7–9-lobed, deeply incised, (1.5–)2.5–4(–6) × (1.5–)2.5–4(–6) cm, base cordate, margins entire, apex rounded to acute, lobes linear to oblong, again deeply pinnately or ternately 3–5-lobed;
cauline ternately lobed, lobes linear to filiform, narrowest on distalmost leaves, somewhat fleshy, surfaces hairy, hairs appressed, stellate;
distalmost leaf lobes unlobed.
cauline, 3–5 per stem;
stipules linear-filiform, undivided or rarely few-divided in robust plants, 3–5 × 1 mm;
petiole 2–4.5(–6) cm, usually 1–2 times as long as blade;
blades: proximalmost orbiculate, unlobed, 1–2.5 × 1–2.5 cm, base cordate with narrow sinus, margins crenate, apex rounded;
other proximals rounded, unlobed or shallowly palmately 7–9-lobed, 2.5–4.8(–6) × 2.5–4.8(–6) cm, margins coarsely crenate, sinus wide to narrow, surfaces stellate-hairy;
distals gradually reduced, orbiculate, more deeply 3-lobed, 1.5–2.5 × 1.5–2.5 cm, lobes obovate, apically widened to nearly truncate and narrowed to base, margins entire, apex 2–5-toothed, teeth subequal.
erect, open, calyces not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in bud, usually unbranched, usually 3–9(–15)-flowered, elongate, 1-sided, to 7–25 cm;
bracts usually paired, linear or lanceolate to narrowly ovate, proximal divided to base, distalmost 2-fid or simple, 5 mm, shorter to longer than pedicels.
erect to ascending, usually open, calyces not overlapping except possibly in bud, unbranched or infrequently branched, 5–12-flowered per branch, not especially elongate, usually 1-sided, 5–10 cm, to 5–15 cm in fruit, 1/2 times plant height;
bracts linear-filiform, undivided or rarely few-divided in robust plants, (3–)7–11 mm, longer than pedicels, usually much shorter than calyx, not involucrelike, densely stellate-hairy and pilose-hirsute.
3–8(–10) mm;
involucellar bractlets absent.
2–4 mm, to 5–6 mm in fruit;
involucellar bractlets absent.
usually bisexual or, infrequently, unisexual and pistillate, plants gynodioecious;
calyx (6–)7–10 mm, slightly enlarged in fruit, uniformly minutely stellate-puberulent;
petals pink to rose, pale-veined at least when dry, 9–20(–25) mm, pistillate shortest;
staminal column 3.3–7.5 mm, sparsely stellate-hairy;
anthers pale yellowish to white;
stigmas 6 or 7.
bisexual;
calyx 8–10 mm, to 11–14 mm in fruit, lobe base within with conspicuous, purplish spot 1–2 mm wide, hairy, hairs glandular and non-glandular, multicellular as in inflorescence;
petals dark pink, without pale veins, with or without reddish basal spot, 10–22(–26) mm;
filaments connate to apex of tube;
staminal column 3–5 mm, hairy, hairs relatively long, simple;
anthers white;
stigmas 4 or 5.
1.5–2 mm.
1.5–2 mm.
5–7 mm diam.;
mericarps 6 or 7, 3.5–4.3 mm, roughened, back finely glandular-puberulent, sides and back coarsely reticulate-veined, pitted, mucro 0.5–1 mm.
5–7 mm diam.;
mericarps 4 or 5, usually tinted pink when fresh, 3–4 mm, usually glabrous, back reticulate-veined, pitted, with prominent midvein, mucro absent but with 1–5 minute bristles in its place.
= 20.
Sidalcea multifida
Sidalcea keckii
Sidalcea multifida is generally a low-growing plant of high elevations, and usually can be distinguished by its highly glaucous, waxy, generally erect stems and leaves, and the generally basal and persistent seven- to nine-lobed leaf blades with pinnate or ternate lobes. It has been confused with S. glaucescens, to which it appears to be closely related and of which it may be found to be a variant or subspecies; as in S. glaucescens, the narrow inflorescence is often slightly curved between flowers. Sidalcea multifida can generally be distinguished from S. glaucescens by its seven- to nine-lobed leaf blades with more finely divided, ternate lobes, persisting basal leaves, range, and more erect habit. It occurs in Alpine, Mono, and Tulare counties in California, and from Lyon to Washoe counties in Nevada.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Sidalcea keckii, federally listed as endangered, was once thought to have been extirpated (S. R. Hill 1993); it was rediscovered in 1992. It appears to have occurred historically in at least seven counties; extant populations are thought to be very few. It is found in the southern inner North Coast Ranges in Colusa, Napa, Solano, and Yolo counties, and in the Sierra Nevada foothills in Fresno, Merced, and Tulare counties. It is closely related and similar to S. diploscypha and is often mistaken for that species; differences between the two are discussed under 8. S. diploscypha. Some plants of S. keckii in Colusa, Solano, and Yolo counties have divided bracts like those of S. diploscypha. Sidalcea keckii is vulnerable to agricultural and residential land development.
Of conservation concern.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
CA
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
