''Sidalcea robusta'' is an uncommon species of flowering plant 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 Butte County checkerbloom.

Description

This rhizomatous perennial herb produces a sturdy stem which can exceed a meter in height. ''Sidalcea robusta'' is mostly hairless above with sparse hairs near the base. The leaves are divided into pointed lobes and have bristly hairs on their upper surfaces. The

inflorescence An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed o ...

is a long, open series of flowers which can be in length. The flowers each have five pale pink petals up to long that turn yellowish as they dry.

Distribution

''Sidalcea robusta'' is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Butte County, California, where it is known from about 20 occurrences, including some near

Chico Chico () means ''small'', ''boy'' or ''child'' in the Spanish language. It is also the nickname for Francisco in the Portuguese language (). Chico may refer to: Places *Chico, California, a city *Chico, Montana, an unincorporated community *Chic ...

. It is a resident of

chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...

and woodland habitat in mountain foothills. It is an

Endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

listed by the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants and

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Natu ...

.The Nature Conservancy, Imperiled flora: ''Sidalcea robusta''
/ref>

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Sidalcea robusta'' (Butte County checkerbloom)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Sidalcea robusta''USDA Plants Profile for ''Sidalcea robusta'' (Butte County checkerbloom)UC CalPhotos gallery: ''Sidalcea robusta''

robusta ROBUSTA (Radiation on Bipolar for University Satellite Test Application) is a nano-satellite scientific experiment developed by the University of Montpellier students as part of a Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES) call for student projects ...

Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Natural history of Butte County, California Chico, California {{Malveae-stub