Wenatchee Mountains checker-mallow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wenatchee Mountains checker-mallow |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Sidalcea |
| Species: | |
| Varietas: |
S. o. var. calva
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| Trinomial name | |
| Sidalcea oregana var. calva C.L.Hitchc.
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The Wenatchee Mountains checker-mallow (Sidalcea oregana var. calva) is a very rare flowering plant. It is a special type, or variety, of plant found in only five spots in the Wenatchee Mountains in Chelan County, Washington, United States. This plant is so rare that it has been placed on the Endangered species list. It is known as the rarest plant in Washington state.
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What the Wenatchee Mountains Checker-Mallow Looks Like
The Wenatchee Mountains checker-mallow is a plant that lives for many years, called a perennial herb. It belongs to the mallow family, known as Malvaceae.
Plant Structure
This plant has a strong main root, called a taproot, which branches out. From this root, several stems grow upwards. These stems can be anywhere from 20 to 150 centimeters (about 8 to 60 inches) tall.
The stems can be smooth without hairs (called glabrous) or they can be hairy (called pubescent). Some even have star-shaped hairs (called stellate), especially near the top.
Leaves and Flowers
The leaves of the checker-mallow are a bit thick and feel fleshy. They have long stalks, known as petioles. Interestingly, the leaves have two different shapes (dimorphic). The leaves closer to the ground have shallower lobes, meaning they are not as deeply cut.
The flowers of this plant are a beautiful light to deep pink color. Each petal is about 1 to 2 centimeters (0.4 to 0.8 inch) long. The flowers grow on small stalks that are 1 to 10 millimeters (0.04 to 0.4 inch) long. The outer parts of the flower, called the calyx, can be finely hairy or have longer, bristly hairs.
How It's Different from Similar Plants
The flowers grow in clusters called racemes, where stalked flowers are arranged along a single stem. The Wenatchee Mountains checker-mallow looks a lot like another plant called S. oregana var. procera, which grows in the same area.
You can tell the Wenatchee Mountains checker-mallow apart by looking closely at the hairs on the edges of its calyx. Also, its large, somewhat fleshy leaves near the bottom of the plant feel smooth on both sides.
Where the Wenatchee Mountains Checker-Mallow Lives
Historically, this plant was found in an area about 17.7 by 4.8 kilometers (11 by 3 miles) wide. This area stretched from Leavenworth, Washington, south-southeast towards a place now called Camas Meadows.
Most of the past records of this plant come from the areas around Icicle and Peshastin Creek watersheds. This means it prefers to grow near these streams and rivers.
