Flora of North America species comparison

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Sidalcea oregana var. calva

Sidalcea oregana subsp. hydrophila
Sidalcea oregana var. calva

Oregon checkermallow
Photo is of parent taxon

marsh checkerbloom, meadow checkerbloom, Oregon checkerbloom
Habit Plants 0.3–0.9 m, with thick, woody taproot and caudex, sometimes forming small patches or colonies.
Stems

decumbent-based, often rooting, branched or not, solid or hollow near base in age, usually to 5 mm diam. near base, base stellate-bristly or hirsute, bristle hairs 2 mm.
Leaves

stipules linear or lanceolate, 4–6(–9) × 0.5–1 mm;

petioles of basal leaves (5–)10–20(–30) cm, 3–4+ times as long as blade, reduced distally and distalmost leaves longer than mature inflorescence;

bracts linear, undivided, 4–6 mm, sometimes longer than young flower buds, much longer than pedicels, shorter than calyx.
Pedicels

1–2 mm.
Flowers

bisexual, sometimes also unisexual and pistillate, plants gynodioecious;

calyx 6–8 mm, stellate-puberulent, not bristly;

petals bright pink, 8–12 mm;

staminal column 4–6 mm, hairy;

anthers white;

stigmas 7–9.
Seeds

1.5–2 mm.
Schizocarps

4–5 mm diam.;

mericarps 7–9, 2–2.5 mm, usually glabrous or sparsely glandular-puberulent on back, smooth, mucro 0.3 mm.
2n

= 20.

Sidalcea oregana var. calva

Sidalcea oregana subsp. hydrophila
Phenology Flowering Jul–Sep.
Habitat Wet soil of stream banks, seeps, meadows
Elevation 1100–2300 m (3600–7500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; NV
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Subspecies hydrophila is generally recognized by its few-flowered, compact, terminal, headlike spikes in branched inflorescences; its long bristles on the proximal stems; and its high wet mountain-meadow habitat. It intergrades somewhat with subsp. spicata. Similar plants, possibly referable to subsp. hydrophila, have been found near Spooner Lake in Douglas County, Nevada. Subspecies valida also has compact spicate inflorescences, but it can be distinguished by its longer spikes, greater flower number, thicker stems with stellate hairs, and marshy habitat at lower elevations. Subspecies hydrophila occurs in the high and inner North Coast Ranges in Colusa, Glenn, Lake, Mendocino, and Napa counties, California, and possibly in Douglas County, Nevada.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source FNA vol. 6, p. 350.
Parent taxa Malvaceae > subfam. Malvoideae > Sidalcea > Sidalcea oregana
Sibling taxa
S. oregana subsp. eximia, S. oregana subsp. hydrophila, S. oregana subsp. oregana, S. oregana subsp. spicata, S. oregana subsp. valida
S. oregana subsp. eximia, S. oregana subsp. oregana, S. oregana subsp. spicata, S. oregana subsp. valida
Synonyms S. hydrophila
Name authority (A. Heller) C. L. Hitchcock: Perenn. Sp. Sidalcea, 67. (1957)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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