Sidalcea setosa
Bristly checkerbloom
Family: Malvaceae · Type: Perennial · Native
Sidalcea setosa (Bristly checkerbloom) is a native California perennial in the Malvaceae family, recognized by very bristly with hairs on swollen pads.
Bristly checkerbloom is a California native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges in meadow habitats at elevations below 1,200 meters. Flowering from June to July, this plant produces pink-lavender flowers 8 to 15 millimeters long in spike-like inflorescences. Growing 50 to 100 centimeters tall with stems that are soft-hairy at the base and stellate-puberulent above, it emerges from a thick taproot with a short caudex. Its leaves are primarily basal, with lower leaves 5 to 10 centimeters wide, shallowly 5 to 9-lobed and coarsely toothed, while upper leaves have more deeply cut lobes. The fruit segments are approximately 2.5 millimeters long with coarsely net-veined outer edges.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; very bristly with hairs on swollen pads
Habitat and range
Habitat: Uncommon. Meadows
Elevation: < 1200 m
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Sidalcea setosa blooms Jun-Jul.
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 setosa native to California?
Yes. Sidalcea setosa is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Sidalcea setosa bloom?
Sidalcea setosa blooms Jun-Jul.
What plant family does Sidalcea setosa belong to?
Sidalcea setosa is in the Malvaceae family, genus Sidalcea.
What habitat does Sidalcea setosa grow in?
Sidalcea setosa grows in Uncommon. Meadows.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
- Sidalcea sp. — Checkerbloom
- Sidalcea sparsifolia — Southern checkerbloom
- Sidalcea stipularis — Scadden flat checkerbloom
- Sidalcea asprella — Harsh checker mallow
- Sidalcea asprella subsp. asprella — Harsh checkerbloom
- Sidalcea asprella subsp. nana — Dwarf sierran checkerbloom
- Sphaeralcea ambigua — Apricot mallow
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-09-30
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.