Taxon Details

Fremontodendron mexicanum

Mexican flannelbush

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Taxon Summary:

Fremontodendron mexicanum, commonly known as Mexican flannelbush, is a perennial evergreen shrub in the Malvaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, and Closed-cone coniferous forest, growing at elevations from 10 to 716 meters. Fremontodendron mexicanum is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification

Scientific Name: Fremontodendron mexicanum A. Davids.
Common Name: Mexican flannelbush
Family:	Malvaceae
Element Code:	PDSTE03020
USDA Plants Symbol:	FRME2
Synonyms/Other Names:
Name Status:	JEF, FNA, POWO, IPNI, Tropicos

Conservation Status

CA Rare Plant Rank:	1B.1
Fed List:	FE (1998-10-13)
State List:	CR (1982-07-01)
Global Rank:	G2
State Rank:	S1
Other Status:	SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_CRES
CRPR Changes:
Add Date:	1974-01-01
Date Edited:	2025-10-29

Ecology and Life History

Lifeform: perennial evergreen shrub

Blooming Period: Mar-Jun

Elevation:
10 - 716 meters
35 - 2350 feet

General Habitats:

Closed-cone coniferous forest
Chaparral
Cismontane woodland

Microhabitat Details: metavolcanic

Microhabitat:

Gabbroic
Serpentine

Notes

Notes: Specimens from outside SDG Co. and BA are probably misidentified or planted. Threatened by urbanization. See Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 16:50 (1917) for original description, and Systematic Botany 16(1):3-20 (1991) for taxonomic treatment.
Threats:
Taxonomy:

Threat List Data from the CNDDB

THREAT LIST:
Threat List Total:	6
	Total EOs	% of EOs
EOs with Threat Listed:	2	50 %
Erosion/runoff	2	50%
Non-native plant impacts	2	50%
Other	2	50%
Vandalism/dumping/litter	1	25%
Foot traffic/trampling	1	25%
Insufficient population/stand size	1	25%

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB

Element Occurrence Ranks:
Total Occurrences:					4
A	B	C	D	X	U
1	1	0	0	0	2

Occurrence Status:
Historical >20 Years	2
Recent <=20 Years	2

Presence:
Presumed Extant	4
Possibly Extirpated	0
Presumed Extirpated	0

Location

California Endemic:

California Island:

States: Name (Code)
Baja California (BA), California (CA)

California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Diego (SDG)

Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Dulzura (3211667), Jamul Mountains (3211668)*, Otay Mesa (3211658), Otay Mountain (3211657)

Notes:

Definitions of codes following a county and/or quad:
*		Presumed extirpated
(?)		Occurrence confirmed, but possibly extirpated
Quad and county data is imported from the CNDDB. Species may be present in other areas where conditions are favorable. These data should NOT be substituted for pre-project review or for on-site surveys.

Regional Map

Map

Presumed Extant

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CNPS Rare Plant Inventory