Taxon Report
Malacothamnus davidsonii (Rob.) GreeneDavidson's bushmallow |
 © 2016 Keir Morse |
Taxon Summary
Malacothamnus davidsonii, commonly known as Davidson's bushmallow, is a perennial deciduous shrub in the Malvaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, and Riparian woodland, growing at elevations from 185 to 1140 meters. Malacothamnus davidsonii is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Malacothamnus davidsonii (Rob.) Greene |
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Common Name: |
Davidson's bushmallow |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Element Code: | PDMAL0Q0V0 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | MADA |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial deciduous shrub |
| Blooming Period: Jun-Jan | Jun-Jan |
| Elevation: | 185-1140 (605-3740) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, Riparian woodland |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | GNR |
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State Rank: |
S2 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | SB_CalBG/RSABG |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 53 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 6 |
| Good (B) | 9 |
| Fair (C) | 11 |
| Poor (D) | 1 |
| None (X) | 1 |
| Unknown (U) | 25 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Los Angeles (LAX) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Burbank (3411823), Condor Peak (3411832), San Fernando (3411834), Sunland (3411833), Van Nuys (3411824) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 12 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 29 | 55 % | |
| Other | 16 | 30% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 13 | 24% |
| Wood cutting or brush clearing | 9 | 16% |
| Development | 8 | 15% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 6 | 11% |
| ORV activity | 6 | 11% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 5 | 9% |
| Erosion/runoff | 3 | 5% |
| Biocides | 2 | 3% |
| Improper burning regime | 1 | 1% |
| Vandalism/dumping/litter | 1 | 1% |
| Waterway bank protection/maintenance | 1 | 1% |
Notes
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Threats: |
| Threatened by development, erosion/runoff, foot traffic/trampling, herbicides, improper burning regime, non-native plant impacts, ORV activity, road/trail construction/maintenance, vandalism/dumping/litter, waterway bank protection/maintenance, wood cutting or brush clearing. |
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Taxonomy: |
| Formerly included populations from Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties that are now treated as M. discombobulatus; the two species are allopatric and genetically distinct. May intergrade with M. fasciculatus; see Madroño 46(4): 142-152 (1999) for information. |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 25 October 2025].