Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica

(Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) C. L. Hitchcock

Perenn. Sp. Sidalcea, 32. 1957.

Common names: Chaparral checkerbloom
Endemic
Basionym: Sida californica Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray Fl. N. Amer. 1: 233. 1838
Synonyms: Sidalcea californica (Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) A. Gray S. malviflora var. californica (Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) Jepson
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 6. Treatment on page 342. Mentioned on page 341, 343, 344, 354.

Plants grayish, 0.4–0.8 (–1) m, with thick, rather woody taproot and usually non-matted, long-spreading rootstocks crenate, distal usually more deeply incised, 7-lobed, lobes cuneate-oblong, apically toothed. Inflorescences open, 10+-flowered, 10–20 cm, flowers evenly spaced 0.5–1 cm, especially in age, axis elongated in fruit; proximalmost bracts leaflike, often divided to base, distal linear to oblong, undivided or 2-fid, 3–6 mm, usually equaling pedicels. Pedicels 3–6 (–20) mm, proximal longest. Flowers: calyx 9–13 mm, uniformly, densely, coarsely stellate-puberulent, hairs to 1 mm, margins often long-ciliate; petals pale pinkish rose, often pale-veined, 10–30 mm, pistillate darker and shorter; staminal column 5–6 mm; anthers white; stigmas (6 or) 7–9. Schizocarps 6–7 mm diam.; mericarps (6 or) 7–9, 3–3.5 mm, glandularpuberulent, rugose, prominently, coarsely reticulate-veined-pitted and wrinkled, mucro 0.5 mm. Seeds 2–2.5 mm.


Phenology: Flowering Mar–May(–Jun).
Habitat: Coastal scrub, oak savannas, chaparral
Elevation: 20–800(–1800) m

Discussion

Subspecies californica is similar to and intergrades with subsp. laciniata and with Sidalcea sparsifolia; it is best recognized by its long-petioled, very shallowly incised basal leaves and shallowly to more deeply incised seven-lobed distal leaves, all of which are densely velvety stellate-pubescent. DNA evidence suggests that it may not belong within S. malviflora (K. Andreasen and B. G. Baldwin 2001, 2003). Subspecies californica is found in the southern outer South Coast and the western Transverse ranges from Monterey to Los Angeles counties.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"elongated" is not a number."elongated" is not a number.

60 +, 40 +  and 20 +
rounded +
Steven R. Hill +
(Nuttall ex Torrey & A. Gray) C. L. Hitchcock +
cordate +
Sida californica +
asymmetric +  and symmetric +
dissected +, lobed +  and unlobed +
pistillate +  and pale-veined +
overlapping +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
bright pink +  and lavender or dark rose-purple +
stellate-puberulent +
0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br /> (1.3 cm13 mm <br />0.013 m <br />) +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
Chaparral checkerbloom +
linear;oblong undivided or 2-fid +
sparsely hairy;glabrate +
20–800(–1800) m +
sparse;copious +
pistillate +  and staminate +
unisexual +  and bisexual +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
Coastal scrub, oak savannas, chaparral +
forked +  and stellate +
0 cm0 mm <br />0 m <br /> (0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br />) +
10+-flowered +  and open +
ascending +  and erect +
axillary +  and terminal +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (20 cm200 mm <br />0.2 m <br />) +
tough-fibrous +
connate +  and distinct +
simple +, stipulate +, sessile +, subsessile +  and petiolate +
distichous +  and alternate +
15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
0-1/2-2 times as long as blade +  and 3-9 times as long as blades +
6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
cauline +  and basal +
toothed +  and cuneate-oblong +
crenate-serrate +  and dentate +
glabrous +, glandular +, stellate-puberulent +  and hirtellous +
wedge--shaped +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
5-9-lobed +  and unlobed +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (?) +
3-40-carpellate +
(1-)2-many +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
pistillate +  and pale-veined +
darker;rose;pale pinkish +
adnate +  and distinct +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br />) +
Flowering Mar–May(–Jun). +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br />) +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (15 cm150 mm <br />0.15 m <br />) +
lobed +, unlobed +, reniform +  and orbiculate +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (12 cm120 mm <br />0.12 m <br />) +
Perenn. Sp. Sidalcea, +
not cordlike +
long-spreading +
7-lobed +, incised +  and crenate +
6mm +  and 7mm +
hairy +  and glabrous +
reniform +
0.2 cm2 mm <br />0.002 m <br /> (?) +  and 0.25 cm2.5 mm <br />0.0025 m <br /> (?) +
persistent +
reticulate-veined +
honeycomb-pitted +
sessile +  and subsessile +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br />) +
solid +, branched +, unbranched +  and rooting +
scattered +  and clustered +
erect;ascending or decumbent +
glabrescent +, stellate-hairy +  and hirsute +
7 +  and 9 +
filiform +, linear +  and capitate +
1-2 times number of carpels +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1.2 cm12 mm <br />0.012 m <br />) +
0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br /> (0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br />) +
purplish +  and green +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
hairy +  and ciliate +
wide-lanceolate +  and oblong or ovate +
0.1 cm1 mm <br />0.001 m <br /> (0.35 cm3.5 mm <br />0.0035 m <br />) +
unbranched +  and branched +
Sidalcea californica +  and S. malviflora var. californica +
Sidalcea malviflora subsp. californica +
Sidalcea malviflora +
subspecies +
80 cm800 mm <br />0.8 m <br /> (100 cm1,000 mm <br />1 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
plant +  and non-matted +
monoecious +, dioecious +  and hermaphroditic +