Sidalcea robusta

Butte county checkerbloom, Butte County Checkerbloom

Family: Malvaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Butte county checkerbloom is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Cascade Range Foothills and northern Sierra Nevada Foothills near Chico, Butte County in dry banks of chaparral and blue-oak woodland transition at elevations of 100 to 400 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pale pink flowers with soft yellow tones that are 2 to 3.5 centimeters long. Growing 8 to 12 centimeters tall with clustered, generally unbranched stems that are densely fine-haired at the base, the plant has a distinctive rhizomatous root system. Its leaves are complex, with 5 to 7 deeply toothed lobes that are sparsely stellate-hairy and glaucous, presenting a soft blue-green appearance. The fruit segments are 3 to 3.5 millimeters long with narrow wings and weakly net-veined surfaces.

Habitat: dry banks in chaparral/blue-oak woodland transition

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 100-400 m

Bioregions: s CaRF, n SNF (near Chico, Butte Co.).

California counties: Butte, Tehama

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