Sidalcea virgata
Sidalcea pedata
rose checkerbloom, virgate checkerbloom
bird-foot checkerbloom
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.
clustered, erect to slightly ascending, base erect to decumbent-ascending, usually unbranched, (plants nearly scapose), solid, long-bristly with hairs often 2 mm, sometimes also stellate-hairy near base, usually becoming finely hispid distally.
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, cauline 1–3;
stipules lanceolate, 3–5 × 1 mm;
petiole 6–9 cm, basal 2 times blade length, cauline 1/2 times blade length;
blade usually orbiculate, 2–5(–6) × 2–5(–6) cm, base cordate, apex rounded, basal deeply dissected into 3–7 primary lobes, each less deeply incised and somewhat ternate, ultimate segments linear to oblong-elliptic, margins entire, distal blades repeatedly dissected with linear segments, surfaces densely hirtellous and stellate-hairy abaxially, less hairy with mostly simple hairs adaxially.
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 or ascending, spiciform, initially dense, later open, calyces not conspicuously overlapping except sometimes in fruit, usually unbranched, usually 20+-flowered, proximal flowers remotely, evenly spaced, elongated in fruit, often 1-sided if ascending and not 1-sided when strictly erect, 15–30(–40) cm, elongating with fruits spaced, axis often wine-red;
bracts linear, usually undivided, 2.5–4 mm, usually ± equaling or longer than pedicels.
(2–)3–8(–15) mm;
involucellar bractlets absent.
1–2(–3) mm;
involucellar bractlets absent.
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).
bisexual or unisexual and pistillate, similar in size, plants gynodioecious;
calyx usually wine-red, 4–5(–7) mm, usually not accrescent, finely stellate-puberulent, marginal hairs longer and often simple;
petals dark rose-pink, sometimes pale-veined, 7–10(–12) mm;
staminal column 3–5 mm, sparsely hairy;
anthers white;
stigmas 5–8.
1.5–2 mm.
2 mm.
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.
5 mm diam.;
mericarps 5–8, somewhat inflated, 2.5 mm, glabrous, smooth, back lightly grooved, not reticulate-veined or pitted, mucro 0.2–0.3 mm.
= 20, 40.
= 20.
Sidalcea virgata
Sidalcea pedata
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 pedata is known from Bear Valley and Bluff Lake in San Bernardino County. It is generally easily distinguished by its relatively small flowers, its stature, its wine-red inflorescence axis, calyx, and buds, its fleshy taproot and lack of rhizomes, and its dense basal cluster of palmately dissected leaves. It is threatened by development, vehicles, and grazing, and has been listed as endangered in California and also federally.
Of conservation concern.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
CA
