Taxon Report

Malacothamnus fasciculatus (T. & G.) Greene var. nesioticus (Rob.) Kearn.

Santa Cruz Island bushmallow

Print Report

© 2009 Gary A. Monroe

Classification


Scientific Name:	Malacothamnus fasciculatus (T. & G.) Greene var. nesioticus (Rob.) Kearn.
Common Name:	Santa Cruz Island bushmallow
Family:	Malvaceae
Element Code:	PDMAL0Q061
USDA Plants Symbol:
Synonyms/Other Names:

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
State Rank:	S1
State List:	CE
Fed List:	FE
Other Status:	SB_SBBG
CRPR Changes:

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

Location


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.
Threats:
Threatened by erosion and non-native plants. Occurrence near Christi Ranch fenced, and Central Valley occurrence appears inaccessible to feral pigs.
Taxonomy:
A synonym of M. fasciculatus in The Jepson Manual, but recent unpublished molecular taxonomic work demonstrates taxon is distinct.

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 8 January 2025].