Sidalcea asprella

Harsh checker mallow

Family: Malvaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Harsh checker mallow is a California native perennial found in rocky or open areas within coastal ranges and central California at moderate elevations. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces pink flowers 1 to 2.5 centimeters long with pale veins, arranged in open, elongate clusters of 2 to 15 blooms. Growing with erect or ascending stems 30 to 60 centimeters tall, it has a distinctive stellate-hairy appearance with 4-rayed hairs covering its green stems and leaves. Its leaves are generally lobed with narrow bases and toothed tips, covered in fine star-shaped hairs that give the plant a soft, textured appearance. The fruit consists of 7 to 8 segments, each 3 to 4 millimeters long and marked with intricate net-like veining.

California counties: Yuba, Placer, Nevada, Alpine, Shasta, Butte, Calaveras, Siskiyou, El Dorado, Tuolumne, Amador, Humboldt, Trinity, Lake, Sierra, Mariposa

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.