Taxon Report

Sidalcea covillei Greene

Owens Valley checkerbloom

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Taxon Summary

Sidalcea covillei, commonly known as Owens Valley checkerbloom, is a perennial herb in the Malvaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chenopod scrub, and Meadows and seeps, growing at elevations from 1095 to 1415 meters. Sidalcea covillei is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Sidalcea covillei Greene
Common Name:	Owens Valley checkerbloom
Family:	Malvaceae
Element Code:	PDMAL11040
USDA Plants Symbol:	SICO2
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Apr-Jun	Apr-Jun
Elevation:	1095-1415 (3595-4645)
General Habitats:	Chenopod scrub, Meadows and seeps
Microhabitat:	Alkaline, Mesic
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S2
State List:	CE
Fed List:	None
Other Status:	BLM_S; SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	43
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	1
Good (B)	25
Fair (C)	10
Poor (D)	3
None (X)	3
Unknown (U)	1

Location


California Endemic: True
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
Inyo (INY)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Big Pine (3711823), Bishop (3711834), Coso Junction (3611718), Fish Slough (3711844), Fish Springs (3711813), Haiwee Pass (3611821), Haiwee Reservoirs (3611728), Independence (3611872), Laws (3711843), Lone Pine (3611851), Long Canyon (3611811), Manzanar (3611862), Olancha (3611831), Poleta Canyon (3711833), Rovana (3711845), Union Wash (3611861), Upper Centennial Flat (3611727), Vermillion Canyon (3611738)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	11
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	38	88 %
Grazing	34	79%
Other	9	20%
Road/trail construction/maint.	7	16%
Foot traffic/trampling	7	16%
Development	5	11%
Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime	5	11%
Non-native plant impacts	5	11%
Groundwater pumping	3	6%
ORV activity	2	4%
Dam/Inundation	2	4%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	2%

Notes



Threatened by development, lowering of water table, non-native plants, grazing, and meadow succession. See Cybele Columbiana 1:35 (1914) for original description, and Fremontia 5(4):34-35 (1978), 6(3):26-27 (1978), and 8(4):16 (1981) for discussion of threats.
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 12 November 2025].