Taxon Report

Abutilon abutiloides (Jacq.) Garcke ex Hochr.

shrubby Indian mallow

Print Report

Taxon Summary

Abutilon abutiloides, commonly known as shrubby Indian mallow, is a perennial herb in the Malvaceae that is found in California and elsewhere. It occurs within Sonoran desert scrub, growing at elevations from 855 to 900 meters. Abutilon abutiloides is ranked 2B.1, Plants Rare, Threatened, or Endangered in California, But More Common Elsewhere; Seriously threatened in California.

Classification


Scientific Name:	Abutilon abutiloides (Jacq.) Garcke ex Hochr.
Common Name:	shrubby Indian mallow
Family:	Malvaceae
Element Code:	PDMAL02010
USDA Plants Symbol:	ABAB
Synonyms/Other Names:

Ecology and Life History


Lifeform:	perennial herb
Blooming Period: Aug-Nov	Aug-Nov
Elevation:	855-900 (2805-2955)
General Habitats:	Sonoran desert scrub
Microhabitat:	Granitic, Rocky
Microhabitat Details:

Conservation Status


CA Rare Plant Rank:	2B.1
Global Rank:	G5
State Rank:	S1
State List:	None
Fed List:	None
Other Status:
CRPR Changes:	added to 2B.1 on 2016-10-05

Occurrence Data from the CNDDB


Total Occurrences:	1
Element Occurrence Ranks:
Excellent (A)	0
Good (B)	1
Fair (C)	0
Poor (D)	0
None (X)	0
Unknown (U)	0

Location


California Endemic: False
California Counties and Islands: Name (Code)
San Diego (SDG)
Quads: Name (Quad Code)
Earthquake Valley (3311614)

Threat List Data from the CNDDB


Threat List Total:	2
EOs with Threat Listed:	Total EOs	% of EOs
	1	100 %
Other	1	100%
Over-collecting/poaching	1	100%

Notes



First collected in California by L. Hendrickson in 2003; identification confirmed by J. Rebman in 2014. Similar to A. palmeri in CA; distinguished in having roughly pubescent leaf blades (vs. softly tomentose) and styles that contain 8-10 branches (vs. 10-12).
Threats:

Taxonomy:

Selected References

Proposed Addition to California Rare Plant Rank 2B.1, G5 / S1 (2016)

Annuaire du Conservatoire et Jardin Botaniques de Genève 6:22 (1902)

Citation California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 19 November 2025].