Sidalcea covillei
Owens valley checkerbloom
(c) Matt Berger, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Sidalcea covillei (Owens valley checkerbloom) is a native California herb in the Malvaceae family, recognized by habitat and leaf arrangement.
Owens valley checkerbloom is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in the eastern Sierra Nevada region in alkaline flats of Owens Valley, Inyo County at elevations of 1,100 to 1,300 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces pink-lavender flowers 10 to 15 millimeters long in open, branched inflorescences with over 20 blooms. Growing with multiple stems 20 to 60 centimeters tall that are stellate-hairy and becoming coarsely bristly at the base, it forms dense clusters. Its basal leaves are deeply divided into 7 linear lobes, appearing fleshy and glaucous with dense stellate hairs covering the surface. The fruit develops as small segments about 2.5 millimeters long with a net-veined back and strongly veined sides.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species - distinguished by habitat and leaf arrangement
Habitat and range
Habitat: Alkaline flats
Elevation: 1100-1300 m
California counties: Inyo, Mono
Bloom period
Sidalcea covillei blooms May-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
How to tell it apart
vs Malva: Sidalcea has no bract ring below flowers and anthers in two circles; Malva has 3 bracts and scattered anthers.; vs Clarkia: Sidalcea has mallow flowers with fused stamens; Clarkia has 4 separate petals and 8 separate stamens.; vs Geranium: Sidalcea has bowl-shaped flowers with fused stamens; Geranium has 5 separate petals and long beaked fruits.; vs Malacothamnus: Sidalcea is herbaceous in meadows; Malacothamnus is a woody shrub in chaparral.; vs Calochortus: Sidalcea is a dicot with 5-petaled flowers; Calochortus is a monocot with 3-petaled flowers from bulbs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Sidalcea covillei native to California?
Yes. Sidalcea covillei is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sidalcea covillei bloom?
Sidalcea covillei blooms May-Jun.
Where in California does Sidalcea covillei grow?
Sidalcea covillei occurs in Inyo, Mono, at elevations of 1100-1300 m.
What plant family does Sidalcea covillei belong to?
Sidalcea covillei is in the Malvaceae family, genus Sidalcea.
Is Sidalcea covillei rare or endangered?
Sidalcea covillei carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.