Taxon Report
Sphaeralcea rusbyi Gray var. eremicola (Jeps.) Kearn.Rusby's desert-mallow |
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Taxon Summary
Sphaeralcea rusbyi var. eremicola, commonly known as Rusby's desert-mallow, is a perennial herb in the Malvaceae that is found only in California. It occurs within Joshua tree "woodland", and Mojavean desert scrub, growing at elevations from 975 to 1645 meters. Sphaeralcea rusbyi var. eremicola is ranked 1B.2, Plants Rare, Threatened or Endangered in California and Elsewhere; Moderately threatened in California.Classification
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Scientific Name: |
Sphaeralcea rusbyi Gray var. eremicola (Jeps.) Kearn. |
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Common Name: |
Rusby's desert-mallow |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Element Code: | PDMAL140L1 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial herb |
| Blooming Period: Mar-Jun | Mar-Jun |
| Elevation: | 975-1645 (3200-5395) |
| General Habitats: | Joshua tree "woodland", Mojavean desert scrub |
| Microhabitat: | |
| Microhabitat Details: |
Conservation Status
| CA Rare Plant Rank: | 1B.2 |
| Global Rank: | G4T2 |
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State Rank: |
S2 |
| State List: | None |
| Fed List: | None |
| Other Status: | BLM_S; SB_CalBG/RSABG; SB_USDA |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 69 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 7 |
| Good (B) | 15 |
| Fair (C) | 3 |
| Poor (D) | 1 |
| None (X) | 0 |
| Unknown (U) | 43 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Inyo (INY), Riverside (RIV), San Bernardino (SBD) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Blackwater Mine (3511577), Cima (3511525), Cima Dome (3511535), Clark Mtn. (3511555), Cottonwood Canyon (3611753), Cow Cove (3511536), Emigrant Canyon (3611742), Emigrant Pass (3611732), Fountain Peak (3411585), Indian Cove (3411612), Ivanpah Lake (3511554), Marl Mountains (3511526), Mescal Range (3511545), Mesquite Lake (3511565), Mineral Hill (3511544), Pachalka Spring (3511556), State Line Pass (3511564), Valley Wells (3511546) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 9 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 32 | 46 % | |
| Development | 14 | 20% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 11 | 15% |
| Grazing | 10 | 14% |
| Mining | 9 | 13% |
| ORV activity | 9 | 13% |
| Non-native animal impacts | 5 | 7% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 5 | 7% |
| Other | 4 | 5% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 1 | 1% |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 16 November 2025].