Home/Species/ Cutleaf Checker-mallow

Sidalcea multifida

Greene

Cutleaf Checker-mallow

G3Vulnerable Found in 8 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G3VulnerableGlobal Rank

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.132949

Element CodePDMAL110G0

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVascular Plant

Endemicendemic to a single nation

KingdomPlantae

PhylumAnthophyta

ClassDicotyledoneae

OrderMalvales

FamilyMalvaceae

GenusSidalcea

Concept Reference

Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.

Taxonomic Comments

Appears to be only weakly separated from (and intergrades with) S. glaucescens, but most regional floras retain as a distinct species.

Conservation Status

Review Date2009-04-06

Change Date2009-04-06

Edition Date2009-03-28

Edition AuthorsGravuer, K.

Range Extent20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)

Rank Reasons

Known from the eastern slopes of the southern and central Sierra Nevada and the adjacent Basin Ranges of eastern California and west-central Nevada; Nevada range extends from southern Washoe to western Lyon County, with several disjunct sites in Lander and Eureka counties. May also occur in southern Klamath County, Oregon; herbarium and field work are seeking to verify the one apparently valid specimen from this location. Occurrences have not been mapped and abundance is unknown; at least 40 distinct herbarium specimens have been collected (a little over half collected after 1970). There may not be more than about 10 known occurrences in California, but the species is believed to be more common in Nevada, according to the California Native Plant Society (2009). Threats are believed low in California, but type and degree of threat are unknown in Nevada.

Range Extent Comments

Eastern slopes of the southern and central Sierra Nevada and in adjacent Basin Ranges of eastern California and west-central Nevada (Hickman 1993, Holmgren et al. 2005). In Nevada, occurs throughout the southern half of Washoe County through Carson City, Douglas, and Storey counties to the western portion of Lyon County; several disjunct populations are known from Lander and Eureka counties (Kartesz 1988). In California, known from Mono, Tulare and Alpine counties (CNPS 2009). There is also one collection from southern Klamath County, Oregon that keys to this species (housed at the Central Oregon Community College herbarium), and some floras include Oregon in its distribution based on this record (Abrams 1951, Peck 1961, Kartesz 1999). Researchers at Oregon State University plan to obtain this specimen to confirm it as an Oregon state record (T. Cook pers. comm. 2009). Botanists in south-central Oregon have not seen this species in the field, but BLM botanists plan to search the area where the specimen was collected during the upcoming field season (S. Vrilakas pers. comm. 2009).

Occurrences Comments

Occurrences have not been mapped. A search of online herbarium databases found approximately 40 distinct specimens, a little over half of which were collected in 1970 or later. The California Native Plant Society online inventory (CNPS 2009) shows a provisional SRANK of S2 for California, meaning that there may not be more than about 10 occurrences expected in that state if occurrence mapping were to proceed. CNPS (2009) also states that the species is more common in Nevada than in California (List 2). If the species is confirmed to be part of the Oregon flora, only one occurrence would be known from Oregon at this time (S. Vrilakas and T. Cook, pers. comm. 2009).

Threat Impact Comments

Threats are believed to be low in California (CNPS 2009). Type and degree of threat unknown in Nevada.

Ecology & Habitat

Description

A perennial herb 10-60 cm tall from a woody, short, thick perennial stem (subterranean or at ground level). Coated with a significant whitish bloom/waxy coating such that plants may appear grayish. Stems and leaves are sparsely to densely hairy with small, star-shaped hairs somewhat pressed closed to the stem/leaf surface. Leaves are mostly basal and somewhat fleshy, deeply 7-lobed (with each of these lobes 3-5 lobed). Flowering stems are open and loosely flowered, with 3-10(-15) flowers each. Flowers have pink to rose petals 9-25 mm long and a staminal column 3.3-7.5 mm long bearing 2 whorls of pale yellow to white anthers in its upper third. Fruit is a schizocarp with 6-7 components forming a ring 5-7 mm in diameter (Hickman 1993, Holmgren et al. 2005).

Diagnostic Characteristics

Distinguished from S. glaucescens by its 7-lobed leaves with the two lower lobes usually divided more than half their length (vs. 5-lobed leaves with the two lower lobes usually not divided more than half their length), its more deeply-toothed/lobed leaf lobes, its basal leaves numerous and persisting through fruiting (vs. basal leaves often withered when in fruit, its pedicels 5-8 mm long (vs. 2-3 mm long), and its general grayish appearance (vs. glaucous but not grayish) (Kartesz 1988, Holmgren et al. 2005).

Habitat

Relatively dry places, such as dry and/or alkaline meadows, within sagebrush (Great Basin scrub), pinyon-juniper woodland, and lower montane pine forest communities. Often occurs in foothill settings. 1250-2900 m.

Terrestrial Habitats

Forest/WoodlandForest - ConiferWoodland - ConiferShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceous

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN3

Province	Rank	Native
Nevada	S3	Yes
California	S2	Yes

Plant Characteristics

Economic Value (Genus)No

Roadless Areas (8)

California (8)

Area	Forest	Acres
Fales	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	9,138
Iceberg - Mill Creek	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	26,988
Rincon	Sequoia National Forest	54,610
Slate Mtn.	Sequoia National Forest	12,299
South Sierra	Inyo National Forest	41,853
South Sierra	Sequoia National Forest	8,008
Wild Horse Mtn. (CA)	Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest	28,822
Woodpecker	Sequoia National Forest	11,936

References (11)

Abrams, L. 1951. Illustrated flora of the Pacific states: Washington, Oregon, and California. Vol. 3. Geraniaceae to Scrophulariaceae. Stanford Univ. Press, Stanford, California. 866 pp.
California Native Plant Society (CNPS). 2009. Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants. California Native Plant Society. Sacramento, CA. Online. Available: http://www.cnps.org/inventory (accessed 2009).
Cook, Thea. Personal communication. Research Assistant, Oregon State University Herbarium, Corvallis, OR.
Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2015. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 6. Magnoliophyta: Cucurbitaceae to Droserceae. Oxford University Press, New York. 496 pp + xxiv.
Hickman, J. C., ed. 1993. The Jepson manual: Higher plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. 1400 pp.
Holmgren, N.H., P.K. Holmgren, and A. Cronquist. 2005. Intermountain flora. Volume 2, part B. Subclass Dilleniidae. The New York Botanical Garden Press. 488 pages.
Kartesz, J.T. 1988. A flora of Nevada. Ph.D. dissertation. Univ. of Nevada, Reno. 3 volumes. 1729 pp.
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Munz, P.A., with D.D. Keck. 1959. A California flora. Univ. California Press, Berkeley. 1681 pp.
Peck, M.E. 1961. A manual of the higher plants of Oregon. 2nd edition. Binsford & Mort, Portland, Oregon. 936 pp.
Vrilakas, Sue. Personal Communication. Data manager and botanist. Oregon Biodiversity Information Center, Institute for Natural Resources, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.