Taxon Report
Malacothamnus fasciculatus (T. & G.) Greene var. nesioticus (Rob.) Kearn.Santa Cruz Island bushmallow |
 © 2009 Gary A. Monroe |
Taxon Summary
Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. nesioticus, commonly known as Santa Cruz Island bushmallow, is a perennial deciduous shrub in the Malvaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Chaparral, and Coastal scrub, growing at elevations from 15 to 210 meters. Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. nesioticus is ranked 1B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Malacothamnus fasciculatus (T. & G.) Greene var. nesioticus (Rob.) Kearn. |
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Common Name: |
Santa Cruz Island bushmallow |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Element Code: | PDMAL0Q061 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial deciduous shrub |
| Blooming Period: Apr-Jul | Apr-Jul |
| Elevation: | 15-210 (50-690) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral, Coastal scrub |
| Microhabitat: | Rocky |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.1 |
| Global Rank: | G4T1 |
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State Rank: |
S1 |
| State List: | CE |
| Fed List: | FE |
| Other Status: | SB_SBBG |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 8 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 0 |
| Good (B) | 4 |
| Fair (C) | 4 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 0 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Santa Barbara (SBA) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Santa Cruz Island A (3311987), Santa Cruz Island B (3311986), Santa Cruz Island C (3311985) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 4 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 6 | 75 % | |
| Non-native plant impacts | 5 | 62% |
| Other | 3 | 37% |
| Erosion/runoff | 2 | 25% |
| Improper burning regime | 2 | 25% |
Notes
| Occurrences small. Reintroduction work ongoing as of 1996. |
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Threats: |
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Threatened by erosion and non-native plants. Occurrence near Christi Ranch fenced, and Central Valley occurrence appears inaccessible to feral pigs. |
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Taxonomy: |
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A synonym of M. fasciculatus in The Jepson Manual, but recent unpublished molecular taxonomic work demonstrates taxon is distinct. |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 3 November 2025].