Taxon Report
Malacothamnus discombobulatus K. Morsediscombobulating bushmallow |
 © 2023 Keir Morse |
Taxon Summary
Malacothamnus discombobulatus, commonly known as discombobulating 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 150 to 710 meters. Malacothamnus discombobulatus 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 discombobulatus K. Morse |
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Common Name: |
discombobulating bushmallow |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Element Code: | PDMAL0Q0W0 |
| USDA Plants Symbol: | |
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Synonyms/Other Names: |
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Ecology and Life History
| Lifeform: | perennial deciduous shrub |
| Blooming Period: (Jun)Jul-Aug(Sep-Oct) | (Jun)Jul-Aug(Sep-Oct) |
| Elevation: | 150-710 (490-2330) |
| General Habitats: | Chaparral, Cismontane woodland, Coastal scrub, Riparian woodland |
| Microhabitat: | Burned areas |
| 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: | |
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CRPR Changes: |
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Occurrence Data from the CNDDB
| Total Occurrences: | 24 |
| Element Occurrence Ranks: | |
| Excellent (A) | 0 |
| Good (B) | 4 |
| Fair (C) | 2 |
| Poor (D) | 0 |
| None (X) | 1 |
| Unknown (U) | 17 |
| California Endemic: True | |
| California Counties and Islands: Name (Code) | |
| Monterey (MNT), San Luis Obispo (SLO) | |
| Quads: Name (Quad Code) | |
| Bear Canyon (3612113), Bradley (3512077), Bryson (3512171), Burnett Peak (3512172), Cosio Knob (3612112), Hames Valley (3512088), Jolon (3512182), Sycamore Flat (3612134), Thompson Canyon (3612122), Tierra Redonda Mountain (3512078), Williams Hill (3512181) | |
Threat List Data from the CNDDB
| Threat List Total: | 10 | |
| EOs with Threat Listed: | Total EOs | % of EOs |
| 7 | 29 % | |
| Feral pigs | 6 | 25% |
| Grazing | 6 | 25% |
| Improper burning regime | 6 | 25% |
| Non-native plant impacts | 6 | 25% |
| Other | 5 | 20% |
| Road/trail construction/maint. | 5 | 20% |
| Foot traffic/trampling | 5 | 20% |
| Altered flood/tidal/hydrologic regime | 1 | 4% |
| Dam/Inundation | 1 | 4% |
| Military operations | 1 | 4% |
Notes
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Threats: |
| Threatened by grazing, non-native plant impacts, road/trail construction/maintenance, foot traffic/trampling, improper burning regime, and feral pigs. |
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Taxonomy: |
| Formerly treated as a disjunct population of M. davidsonii, which is allopatric; the two taxa are genetically distinct. |
Selected References
| Proposed addition to CRPR 1B.2, G2 / S2 (2024) |
| Malacothamnus 2: 70–72 (2023) |
| Malacothamnus 3 (2023) |
| Malacothamnus 3 (2023) |
Citation
California Native Plant Society, Rare Plant Program. 2025. Rare Plant Inventory (online edition, v9.5.1). Website https://www.rareplants.cnps.org [accessed 29 March 2025].