Sidalcea oregana
Encyclopedia
Sidalcea oregana is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family
known by the common name Oregon checkerbloom. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
to California
to Utah
, where it grows in a number of moist habitat types, such as marsh
es and meadows. The plant is somewhat variable in appearance, and the species is divided into a few subspecies; some authors also recognize varieties within subspecies. In general, this is a perennial herb growing to maximum heights well over one meter from a woody taproot
. It is usually hairy in texture, the hairs thick and bristly toward the base of the stem. Most of the leaves are located low on the stem. Their blades are usually deeply divided into lobes; upper leaves may be divided further into leaflets. The inflorescence
is a dense or open spikelike raceme
of many flowers. Each flower has five pink petals up to 2 centimeters long.
One variety of this plant, the Wenatchee Mountains checkermallow (Sidalcea oregana var. calva), is a rare taxon endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains
of Washington. It is federally listed as an endangered species
.
Other rare subtaxa include ssp. eximia (coast checkerbloom), which is known from about ten occurrences in northern California, and ssp. valida (Kenwood Marsh checkerbloom), which is also federally designated as an endangered species. It is known only from two marshes in Sonoma County, California
.
Malvaceae
Malvaceae, or the mallow family, is a family of flowering plants containing over 200 genera with close to 2,300 species. Judd & al. Well known members of this family include okra, jute and cacao...
known by the common name Oregon checkerbloom. It is native to western North America from British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, where it grows in a number of moist habitat types, such as marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
es and meadows. The plant is somewhat variable in appearance, and the species is divided into a few subspecies; some authors also recognize varieties within subspecies. In general, this is a perennial herb growing to maximum heights well over one meter from a woody taproot
Taproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
. It is usually hairy in texture, the hairs thick and bristly toward the base of the stem. Most of the leaves are located low on the stem. Their blades are usually deeply divided into lobes; upper leaves may be divided further into leaflets. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a dense or open spikelike raceme
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
of many flowers. Each flower has five pink petals up to 2 centimeters long.
One variety of this plant, the Wenatchee Mountains checkermallow (Sidalcea oregana var. calva), is a rare taxon endemic to the Wenatchee Mountains
Wenatchee Mountains
The Wenatchee Mountains are a range of mountains in central Washington State, United States of America. A major subrange of the Cascade Range, extending east from the Cascade crest, the Wenatchee Mountains separate the drainage basins of the Yakima River from the Wenatchee River...
of Washington. It is federally listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Other rare subtaxa include ssp. eximia (coast checkerbloom), which is known from about ten occurrences in northern California, and ssp. valida (Kenwood Marsh checkerbloom), which is also federally designated as an endangered species. It is known only from two marshes in Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, California
Sonoma County, located on the northern coast of the U.S. state of California, is the largest and northernmost of the nine San Francisco Bay Area counties. Its population at the 2010 census was 483,878. Its largest city and county seat is Santa Rosa....
.