Sidalcea ranunculacea
Marsh checker mallow
(c) Gordon C. Snelling, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Gordon C. Snelling · licence
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Sidalcea ranunculacea (Marsh checker mallow) is a native California herb in the Malvaceae family, recognized by magenta flowers drying dark purple and rounded leaf lobes.
Marsh checker mallow is a California native perennial found in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, specifically in the Greenhorn Mountains of Tulare and Kern counties, inhabiting moist meadows and streambanks at elevations of 1,820 to 3,050 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces magenta-pink flowers occasionally white-veined, with petals 5 to 15 millimeters long that dry to a dark purple. Growing 20 to 50 centimeters tall with ascending stems that are bristly at the base and stellate-hairy above, it develops an elongate caudex. Its leaves are distinctively fleshy and stellate-hairy, with basal leaves shallowly 5-lobed and upper leaves deeply 5 to 7-lobed, featuring rounded basal lobes and acute upper lobes. The fruit segments are approximately 2.5 millimeters long with weakly net-veined sides and a rougher back surface.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 3 sympatric species; magenta flowers drying dark purple and rounded leaf lobes
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Moist meadows, streambanks, often near
Elevation: 1820-3050 m
Bloom period
Sidalcea ranunculacea blooms Jun-Aug.
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 ranunculacea native to California?
Yes. Sidalcea ranunculacea is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sidalcea ranunculacea bloom?
Sidalcea ranunculacea blooms Jun-Aug.
What plant family does Sidalcea ranunculacea belong to?
Sidalcea ranunculacea is in the Malvaceae family, genus Sidalcea.
What habitat does Sidalcea ranunculacea grow in?
Sidalcea ranunculacea grows in Uncommon. Moist meadows, streambanks, often near.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
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.