Sidalcea malviflora is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, known by the common names dwarf checkerbloom,[1]Greek mallow,[2]prairie mallow[3] and dwarf checkermallow.
Sidalcea malviflora is somewhat variable in appearance and there are many subspecies. In general it is a perennial herb growing from a woody caudex and rhizome, its stem reaching about 60 centimeters in maximum height. It is sparsely to densely hairy in texture. The leaf blades are variable in shape, but are often divided deeply into several lobes. The inflorescence is a dense or loose array of several flowers. The flower has five petals in shades of bright to dark pink, often with white veining, and measuring one to over three centimeters in length.
Flower of Sidalcea malviflora ssp. laciniata.Sidalcea malviflora.
Subspecies and endemics
There are over ten subspecies, some of which are endemic and rare:. They include:[4]
Sidalcea malviflora ssp. californica — California checkerbloom.
^ abUSDA, NRCS (n.d.). "Sidalcea malviflora". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 12 November 2015.