''Sildalcea campestris'' is a species of

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in the

mallow family Malvaceae, or the mallows, is a family of flowering plants estimated to contain 244 genera with 4225 known species. Well-known members of economic importance include okra, cotton, cacao and durian. There are also some genera containing familiar o ...

known by the common name meadow checker-mallow. It is native only to portions of western Oregon, in the

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region of

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Distribution

Meadow checker-mallow occurs in grassy meadows, unplowed fields, and along roadsides in the

Willamette Valley The Willamette Valley ( ) is a long valley in Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Willamette River flows the entire length of the valley and is surrounded by mountains on three sides: the Cascade Range to the east, ...

. Historically native to the following Oregon Counties: Benton, Clackamas,

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, Multnomah,

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, Yamhill. Currently it is found only in the central portion of its range and is locally common in the

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area. It is not known to occur at elevations above 250 meters.

Description

''Sidalcea campestris'' is a taprooted perennial herb that grows from thick, stubby rhizomes. It has a basal rosette of toothed leaves. Its stems are erect and hollow. The flowers are five-petaled and numerous, with typically fifty or more per plant, forming in branched

raceme A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

s atop stems. The flowers range in color from white to pink. ''Sidalcea campestris'' prefers moist, but well drained to dry soil and full sun to part shade.

Ecology

It is vulnerable to herbicide spraying due to population occurrences along fences and roadsides. Its small historic range is another concern.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q17579205 campestris Flora of Oregon Endemic flora of Oregon Endemic flora of the United States