Sidalcea hickmanii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sidalcea hickmanii |
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|---|---|
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| ssp. anomala | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Sidalcea
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| Species: |
hickmanii
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Sidalcea hickmanii is a beautiful flowering plant. It belongs to the mallow family. People often call it the chaparral checkerbloom.
Where This Plant Lives
The chaparral checkerbloom is a special plant because it is endemic to California. This means it only grows naturally in California and nowhere else in the world! You can find it in the Central Coast Ranges, the Transverse Ranges, and some parts of the northern coast.
This plant likes to grow in areas called chaparral. Chaparral is a type of habitat with tough, woody shrubs. Sometimes, it even grows in special serpentine soils. These soils have unique minerals that only certain plants can handle.
There are four different types, or subspecies, of Sidalcea hickmanii. Most of these types grow in different areas, so they are separated geographically.
What the Plant Looks Like
This plant is a perennial herb. This means it's a plant that lives for more than two years. It grows a stem that can reach up to one meter (about 3 feet) tall. The stem has rough hairs on it. At the bottom of the plant, there's a woody part called a caudex.
The leaves of the chaparral checkerbloom are wide and shaped like a fan. Their edges can be wavy, or they might be divided into narrow sections. The flowers grow in clusters called an inflorescence. These clusters are made of several smaller flower stalks called racemes. Each flower has petals that are pink to purplish. They can be up to 2.5 centimeters (about 1 inch) long.
Different Types of Chaparral Checkerbloom
There are four unique subspecies of Sidalcea hickmanii. Each one has its own special features and places where it grows.
- Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. anomala - Cuesta Pass checkerbloom
This type is quite rare. It is only found near the Hwy. 101 Cuesta Pass. This area is in the southern Santa Lucia Mountains in San Luis Obispo County. It especially likes to grow on serpentine soils. Its leaves are deeply divided, almost like they are made of separate parts. Even though it's rare, it grows a lot in places that have recently had a wildfire.
- Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. hickmanii - Hickman's checkerbloom
This subspecies is found only in the Santa Lucia Mountains of Monterey County.
- Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. parishii - Parish's checkerbloom
This is another rare subspecies. It has a disjunct distribution. This means it grows in places that are far apart from each other. You can find it in the Santa Ynez Mountains near Santa Barbara. It also grows in the San Bernardino Mountains, which are on the eastern side of the greater Los Angeles Basin area.
- Sidalcea hickmanii ssp. viridis - Marin checkerbloom
This type is found in Marin County and the northern San Francisco Bay Area. This is several hundred miles away from where the other subspecies grow.
