Checkerbloom
common name: Checkerbloom
scientific name: Sidalcea calycosa
family: Malvaceae (mallow)
habitat: vernal pools, wet grassland
size: plant up to 12 inches tall, flower 1.5 to 2.0 cm across
fun facts: The common name Checkerbloom comes from the checkered pattern of veins on the petals.
description: Member of the mallow family. The flowers are made up of five petals and many stamens. The petals are pale pink to white. Leaves are often rounded or maple leaf-shaped at the bottom of the plant and divided into palmate (hand-shaped) lobes at the top.
There may be more than one species of Checkerbloom at Mather Field. This species blooms early in the season along with White-tipped Clover (Trifolium variegatum) on the edges of the vernal pools. The plant that blooms later in the season may be a different species.
life cycle: Checkerbloom is an annual. It blooms in April and early May at Mather Field.
ecology: Checkerblooms have large almost nut-like seeds which are highly nutritious. They are an important food source for burrowing rodents and birds.
Most vernal pools do not have Checkerbloom. Only a few at Mather Field have Checkerbloom rings.
investigate: The Checkerbloom and White-tipped Clover grow together, bloom at the same time, and have similar colored flowers. Do you think that they may be pollinated by the same insects? When an insect visits a Checkerbloom, what part of its body would get pollen on it?
