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Nelson's checker-mallow, Nelson's checkerbloom

fringe checker mallow, fringe checkerbloom

Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.4–1 m, often glaucous, with thick, woody taproot and lateral rhizomes to 500 mm. Herbs, annual, 0.2–0.7 m, not glaucous, with taproot.
Stems

clustered, erect, base decumbent-ascending, solid or ± hollow in age, usually ± glaucous distally, glabrous or sparsely hirtellous, hairs short, appressed, simple.

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

Leaves

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.

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.

Inflorescences

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.

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.

Pedicels

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

involucellar bractlets absent.

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.

Seeds

1.5 mm.

2 mm.

Schizocarps

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.

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.

2n

= 20.

= 20.

Sidalcea nelsoniana

Sidalcea diploscypha

Phenology Flowering (May–)Jun–Jul(–Sep). Flowering Apr–May(–Jun).
Habitat Open fields, meadows, fencerows, remnant prairies Grasslands, open woodlands, valleys, near vernal pools, usually on serpentine
Elevation (40–)100–600(–1300) m ((100–)300–2000(–4300) ft) 0–900 m (0–3000 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

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.)

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.)

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 346. FNA vol. 6, p. 330.
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. glaucescens, S. hartwegii, S. hendersonii, S. hickmanii, S. hirsuta, S. hirtipes, S. keckii, S. malachroides, S. malviflora, S. multifida, 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. 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
Synonyms Sida diploscypha, S. diploscypha var. minor, S. secundiflora
Name authority Piper: Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 32: 41. (1919) (Torrey & A. Gray) A. Gray: Mem. Amer. Acad. Arts, n. s. 4: 19. (1849)
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