About Sidalcea calycosa M.E.Jones
Sidalcea calycosa is a rhizomatous herb that reaches heights between 30 centimeters (12 inches) and nearly 1 meter (3.3 feet). Contrary to what its common name might suggest, this species can be annual or perennial, depending on its subspecies. The leaf blades are deeply divided into narrow linear lobes, and are almost fully separated into individual leaflets. Its inflorescence is a dense, showy panicle holding several flowers. Each flower has five petals that can be pink, purplish, or white, and grow up to 2.5 centimeters long. The blooming period for this species runs from April through September. This plant is endemic to California. It occurs along the North Coast and adjacent Northern California Coast Ranges, ranging from Mendocino County to Marin County in the northern San Francisco Bay Area. It also grows in sections of the western Sierra Nevada foothills, extending from Butte County south into Tulare County. It inhabits wetland habitats including marshes and vernal pools, as well as openings in oak woodland and chaparral, grasslands, and coastal salt marsh plant communities.
