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Sidalcea asprella

dwarf checkerbloom, harsh checker mallow, harsh checkerbloom

California checkerbloom, checkerbloom, checkermallow, dwarf checker-mallow, dwarf checkerbloom, wild hollyhock

Habit Herbs, perennial, 0.1–1(–1.2) m, infrequently ± glaucous, with caudex or not, usually with freely-rooting fibrous rootstocks or rhizomes (5–)10–30 cm × 2–4 mm, matted or not. Herbs, perennial, colonial or not, 0.2–0.6(–1.1) m, not glaucous, with woody caudex, usually with woody taproot, without rhizomes or rhizomes not cordlike, 3–10 mm diam.
Stems

usually single, erect and sometimes supported by adjacent plants (sprawling), base prostrate or decumbent-ascending to erect, often rooting, solid, not brittle, sometimes ± glaucous distally, proximally stellate-hairy, glabrate, hairs minute or larger and coarse (never simple only), usually 4-rayed, 0.5–1 mm.

clustered or scattered, erect to ascending, or decumbent to suberect, sometimes rooting, unbranched or branched, solid, usually densely to sparsely hirsute, stellate-hairy, or glabrescent, hairs 1–2 mm, distal stem usually more sparsely hairy to glabrate.

Leaves

basal and/or cauline, similar in size and shape;

stipules linear to lanceolate, 2–3 × 1.1 mm;

petiole (1–)5–10(–15) cm, longest on proximal leaves, 1–4 times longer on proximal leaves to 1/2 times to as long as blade on distal leaves;

blade usually shallowly to deeply palmately 3–7-lobed usually halfway to base, proximal and distal cauline blades rounded to reniform, 2–3 × 2–5 cm, usually wider than long, base cordate to truncate, margins crenate, apex blunt or rounded, lobes narrowest at base, margins usually apically coarsely toothed, rarely entire, surfaces stellate-puberulent.

basal and/or cauline;

stipules green or purplish, linear-lanceolate or wide-lanceolate to oblong or ovate, 3–8(–12) × 1–3.5(–5) mm, often hairy to ciliate;

petioles of proximalmost leaves (5–)6–15(–30) cm, 3–9 times as long as blades, much reduced distally to 1/2–2 times as long as blade;

blades: proximalmost usually orbiculate, sometimes reniform, unlobed or shallowly lobed, (1–)4–15 × (1–)4–12 cm, base cordate, margins crenate, apex rounded, surfaces hairy, hairs stiff, either or both simple and stellate or forked, lobes cuneate-obovate, margins dentate;

mid stem unlobed or palmately 5–9-lobed, margins coarsely crenate-serrate, lobes toothed or lobed to dissected;

distalmost smaller, sometimes subsessile.

Inflorescences

ascending or erect, often spiciform, open, calyces not overlapping in flower or fruit, unbranched or branched, 2–15(–30)-flowered, elongate in both flower and fruit, usually 1-sided, 6–11(–30) cm;

bracts leaflike to linear, usually 2-fid, (2–)3–5(–15) mm.

erect or somewhat ascending, dense, subcapitate or spicate especially when young to elongated and open, calyces overlapping or not, not long-pedunculate, usually unbranched, 2–21-flowered, usually light or bright pink to lavender or dark rose-purple, rarely white, pale-veined, 7–20(–30) mm, pistillate 7–11(–30) mm, bisexual 10–25(–30) mm;

staminal column 4–8 mm, hairy;

anthers white to pale pink or pale yellow;

stigmas (6 or)7 or 8(or 9).

Pedicels

2–5(–10) mm;

involucellar bractlets absent.

Flowers

bisexual or unisexual and pistillate, plants gynodioecious;

calyx 5–12 mm, uniformly densely stellate-puberulent;

petals pink to pale purple, pale-veined, (5–)10–28 mm, pistillate flowers darker, 5–15 mm;

staminal column 4–5 mm, stellate-puberulent;

anthers white;

stigmas (6 or)7 or 8.

Seeds

1.5–2.8 mm.

1.5–3 mm.

Schizocarps

6–8 mm diam.;

mericarps (6 or)7 or 8, 3–4 mm, usually glandular-puberulent to stellate-puberulent, sometimes glabrous, roughened, strongly reticulate-veined, sides and back pitted, mucro 0.5–1 mm.

4–8 mm diam.;

mericarps (6 or)7 or 8(or 9), 2.5–4 mm, usually minutely hirtellous, stellate-puberulent, or glandular, rarely glabrous, roughened, sides ± honeycomb-pitted and reticulate-veined, back less so, mucro 0.3–1 mm.

2n

= 20, 40, 60.

Sidalcea asprella

Sidalcea malviflora

Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Subspecies 2 (2 in the flora).

Sidalcea asprella is variable and occurs from the central Sierra Nevada to southwestern Oregon. Typical plants in the central Sierra Nevada have weak, elongated stems that are often supported by neighboring vegetation; they lack simple recurved hairs at the stem base and may have either elongated rhizomes or a caudex. It has been confused with S. celata, S. elegans, S. gigantea, and S. glaucescens; formerly it was included within S. malviflora; molecular study has shown that it is different from S. malviflora. It belongs to a group including S. celata, S. elegans, S. gigantea, and S. hirtipes (K. Andreasen and B. G. Baldwin 2003).

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

Sidalcea malviflora includes local variants and intermediates. It was first described as a coastal taxon; later researchers subsequently included interior populations that shared a few characteristics. Molecular study has shown that the majority of the interior plants are not very closely related to the coastal forms; the species is again considered to be primarily coastal. Two inland taxa remain, subspp. californica and dolosa.

Sidalcea malviflora can generally be distinguished by its coastal distribution, its decumbent-based stems, its relatively short pedicels, its relatively large and showy petals that usually have conspicuous whitish veins, especially when dry, and its generally prominently reticulate-pitted and usually glandular-puberulent mericarps that have a mucro. The leaves can be extremely variable, from unlobed to highly dissected; the indument tends to be harsh to the touch.

Subspecies 7 (7 in the flora).

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

Key
1. Plants (0.3–)0.5–1(–1.2) m, with caudex or usually compact rootstocks or rhizomes to 10(–30) cm × 4 mm; leaves mostly cauline; inflorescences 8–15 (–30)-flowered, erect; stems erect, sometimes weak and supported by other vegetation, sometimes proximally decumbent.
subsp. asprella
1. Plants 0.1–0.3(–0.4) m, with rhizomes 5–20 cm × 2(–3) mm; leaves mostly basal; inflorescences usually 2–10(–19)-flowered, ascending; stems decumbent-ascending to erect, sometimes proximally prostrate.
subsp. nana
1. Inflorescences usually dense, flowers obviously overlapping, fruits either congested or spaced and not overlapping on elongated axis
→ 2
1. Inflorescences usually open, elongate, flowers not obviously overlapping except in bud, axis elongated in flower, fruit not congested
→ 3
2. Rhizomes freely rooting; leaves at midstem usually lobed; stems softly bristly-hairy proximally, stellate-hairy distally, usually not densely.
subsp. patula
2. Rhizomes not freely rooting; leaves at midstem unlobed; stems densely, softly bristly-hairy or stellate-hairy.
subsp. rostrata
3. Leaves: blades, except proximalmost, deeply lobed, lobes ternate or dissected, segments linear (Geranium-like); stem base usually decumbent, often rooting.
subsp. laciniata
5. Leaf blades: basal 1–2(–2.5) cm wide; calyces and stipules purplish; stems glabrous, short stellate-hairy, or sparsely bristly.
subsp. purpurea
5. Leaf blades: basal 2–6 cm wide; calyces and stipules usually green, not purple tinted (except sometimes at base of stipule only); stems softly bristly-hairy or stellate-hairy.
subsp. rostrata
6. Stem base hairy, hairs simple, soft, 2 mm; mericarps slightly reticulate-veined, wrinkled; rhizomes usually 10+ cm, freely rooting, sometimes matted; calyces sparsely stellate-puberulent and hirsute-bristly; San Bernardino Mountains.
subsp. dolosa
6. Stem base hairy, hairs stellate and/or simple, to 2 mm; mericarps strongly reticulate-veined, wrinkled or pitted; rhizomes usually to 10 cm, not freely rooting, not matted; calyces usually densely simple- or stellate-hairy; s outer South Coast and w Transverse ranges from Monterey to Los Angeles counties
→ 7
7. Stems usually stellate-hairy and/or spreading-bristly to glabrate; calyces densely stellate-puberulent and coarsely bristly; petals: bisexual 15–29 mm; coastal and insular.
subsp. malviflora
7. Stems densely, softly velvety stellate-hairy, hairs 1 mm; calyces densely stellate-puberulent; petals: bisexual 10–30 mm; inland.
subsp. californica
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 325. Treatment author: Steven R. Hill. FNA vol. 6, p. 340. Treatment author: Steven R. Hill.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sidalcea Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sidalcea
Sibling taxa
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. 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. multifida, S. nelsoniana, S. neomexicana, S. oregana, S. pedata, S. ranunculacea, S. reptans, S. robusta, S. setosa, S. sparsifolia, S. stipularis, S. virgata
Subordinate taxa
S. asprella subsp. asprella, S. asprella subsp. nana
S. malviflora subsp. californica, S. malviflora subsp. dolosa, S. malviflora subsp. laciniata, S. malviflora subsp. malviflora, S. malviflora subsp. patula, S. malviflora subsp. purpurea, S. malviflora subsp. rostrata
Synonyms S. malviflora subsp. asprella Sida malviflora, Nuttallia malviflora
Name authority Greene: Bull. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1: 78. (1885) (de Candolle) A. Gray: Smithsonian Contr. Knowl. 3(5): 16. (1852)
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