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rose checkerbloom, virgate checkerbloom

dwarf checkerbloom, Redding checkerbloom

Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.3–0.6(–0.8) m, not glaucous, with woody taproot and compact rhizomes to 1 cm diam., these sometimes longer and freely rooting. Herbs, perennial, 0.4–0.8(–1) m, sometimes glaucous, with caudex and thick, woody rootstocks, not freely rooting, without rhizomes.
Stems

scattered or clustered, erect, decumbent-ascending, or reclining, freely rooting proximally, solid, proximally densely stellate-hairy, hairs long, soft, tangled, often 1.5 mm, distally hirsute to subglabrous, hairs smaller and appressed.

mostly single, usually erect, sometimes branched distally, solid (sometimes hollow in older, robust plants), sometimes glaucous, proximally densely bristly-hairy, hairs reflexed, stiff, simple, sometimes also coarse, 2–3-rayed, stellate, 1–1.6(–2.5) mm, pustulate, sparser distally, with minute, stellate hairs in inflorescence.

Leaves

basal and cauline;

stipules sometimes purplish, linear-lanceolate, 4–5(–10) × 0.5–1.5 mm;

petioles 10–20 cm on basal leaves, 3 times blade length, gradually reduced distally to 1/2 times blade length;

blades: proximalmost orbiculate or semi-orbiculate to cordate, shallowly 5–7-lobed, 2–10(–15) × 2–10(–15) cm, base cordate, apex rounded, lobe margins coarsely dentate, surfaces densely stellate-hairy abaxially, hairs often simple and appressed adaxially;

mid cauline deeply, palmately 5–7(–9)-lobed, lobes oblong, margins coarsely dentate;

distal cauline smaller, deeply divided ± to base, lobe margins often entire.

mostly basal, some cauline;

stipules usually early-deciduous, linear-lanceolate, 3–7 × 1 mm;

proximal petioles 15–18 cm, 3–4 times as long as blade, distal usually to 1/2 times to as long as blade;

blades: basal rounded, usually palmately 7-lobed, shallowly incised, 4–8 × 4–8 cm, lobes 1.5–2 cm wide, margins crenate-dentate, 3–7-toothed, apices obtuse;

distal 3–10, palmately 5-lobed, deeply incised, 2–6 × 2–6 cm, lobes narrow, linear, 2–3.5 × 2–4 mm, margins entire or 1–5-toothed, surfaces: abaxial stellate-hairy, hairs 6-rayed, 1.5 mm, adaxial hairy, hairs simple, 1.5 mm, distalmost glabrate adaxially and sometimes simple-hairy.

Inflorescences

erect or ascending, often ± spiciform, usually open, sometimes dense, calyces usually not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in bud, unbranched or rarely 1–3-branched, 5–20(–30)-flowered, proximalmost 1 or 2 flowers usually leafy-bracted, spaced 1+ cm, elongate, slender and virgate, often 1-sided, 20–25 cm;

bracts often purplish, linear to oblanceolate, usually 2-fid, 3–6 mm, usually equaling pedicels.

erect, open, calyces not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in bud, unbranched or branched, (5–)10–12(–23)-flowered, elongate, sometimes 1-sided, 10–40 cm;

bracts lanceolate, usually undivided, 3–4 mm, shorter than pedicels and calyx.

Pedicels

(2–)3–8(–15) mm;

involucellar bractlets absent.

(3–)5–10(–15) mm;

involucellar bractlets absent.

Flowers

bisexual or unisexual and pistillate, plants gynodioecious;

calyx 6–12 mm, densely, finely stellate-hairy, without longer hairs, lobes green or purple-tinged;

petals pink or pinkish lavender to magenta, usually drying purple, usually pale-veined, pistillate 9–10 mm, bisexual 15–28(–30) mm;

staminal column 6–8 mm, hairy;

anthers white;

stigmas 6 or 7(or 8).

usually bisexual, infrequently unisexual and pistillate, plants gynodioecious;

calyx (7–)9–10 mm, to 12–14 mm in fruit, densely stellate-puberulent;

petals pale pinkish lavender, often pale-veined especially when dry, pistillate 10–20 mm, bisexual 20–25(–31) mm;

staminal column 7–8(–10) mm, sparsely puberulent;

anthers white;

stigmas (6)7(8).

Seeds

1.5–2 mm.

2.5 mm.

Schizocarps

6–7 mm diam.;

mericarps 6 or 7(or 8), 3–3.5(–4) mm, roughened, back glandular-puberulent to finely stellate, prominently reticulate-veined, pitted, mucro 0.5 mm.

6–8 mm diam.;

mericarps (6)7(8), 3–4 mm, minutely glandularpuberulent, glabrescent, margins sometimes sharpedged, roughened, strongly reticulate-veined, sides and back deeply pitted, honeycomblike, median line on back but not furrowed, mucro 1 mm.

2n

= 20, 40.

= 60.

Sidalcea virgata

Sidalcea celata

Phenology Flowering May–Jun(–Aug). Flowering May–Jun(–Aug).
Habitat Dry hillsides, open shrublands, meadows, forest margins Open oak woodlands, wet sites, sometimes on serpentine
Elevation 70–500(–800) m (200–1600(–2600) ft) 100–400(–1600) m (300–1300(–5200) ft)
Distribution
from FNA
OR; WA
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Sidalcea virgata was included as a subspecies within S. malviflora by C. L. Hitchcock (1957). It does have some resemblance to S. malviflora subsp. patula; the inflorescence is generally much more open, the rhizomes are not as long, and the stems are narrower and less hairy, and it tends to occur farther inland. It has been confused also with S. asprella and S. elegans, and the three appear to be closely related. Sidalcea virgata is somewhat difficult to define because it overlaps with other taxa in most of its characters, yet it has been generally accepted as distinct. Its range is well delineated but it is not always easily distinguished from sympatric species, especially in fruit. Its proximalmost flowers consistently being in the axils of well-developed leaves may be its most useful identification feature (especially in herbarium specimens). Hitchcock noted that it does not occur south of Oregon and considered it to be more geographically than morphologically distinct. It has been listed as endangered in Washington (as S. malviflora subsp. virgata); its single occurrence there needs more investigation. Sidalcea virgata is found in the Willamette Valley area and in Josephine to Yamhill counties, Oregon, and, possibly, in Thurston County, Washington.

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

Sidalcea celata has been recognized as a local species endemic to Shasta and Tehama counties (especially near Redding) in the northern inner North Coast Ranges; it was previously included within S. malviflora. Hitchcock’s concept of S. celata as a subspecies was broader and included plants from additional counties that do not match the type very well; most have been re-identified as S. asprella or S. oregana. Sidalcea celata has been confused with S. asprella, S. gigantea, and S. robusta and appears to be variable. Its narrow distribution, preference for serpentine, typical lack of elongated rhizomes, basally retrorsely hirsute stems, presence of basal leaves, and relatively large bisexual flowers and fruits are distinctive.

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

Source FNA vol. 6, p. 355. FNA vol. 6, p. 329.
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. nelsoniana, S. neomexicana, S. oregana, S. pedata, S. ranunculacea, S. reptans, S. robusta, S. setosa, S. sparsifolia, S. stipularis
S. asprella, S. calycosa, S. campestris, S. candida, 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. robusta, S. setosa, S. sparsifolia, S. stipularis, S. virgata
Synonyms S. malviflora subsp. virgata, S. malviflora var. virgata S. malviflora var. celata, S. malviflora subsp. celata
Name authority Howell: Fl. N.W. Amer. 1: 101. (1897) (Jepson) S. R. Hill: Madroño 56: 106. (2009)
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