Malacothamnus clementinus

San clemente island bushmallow, San Clemente Island Bush-Mallow

Family: Malvaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Delisted

San clemente island bushmallow is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native shrub found on San Clemente Island in early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation at elevations of 5 to 385 meters. Flowering from March to April, this plant produces pale flowers with petals up to 2 centimeters long. Growing as a low-spreading shrub less than 1 meter tall, it spreads by rhizomes and is densely covered in stellate hairs that can be seen without magnification. Its leaves are roughly round to widely ovate, with 3 to 5 subtle to moderate lobes, appearing ashy to bright green on the surface and much paler underneath. The plant produces distinctive linear bracts and bractlets ranging from green to red, subtending interrupted flower clusters.

Habitat: Probably early-recovering post-burn woody vegetation, edges of openings, some plants persisting into more mature vegetation stages

Bloom period: (Jan)Mar-Apr(Nov)

Elevation: 5-385 m

Bioregions: s ChI (San Clemente Island).

California counties: Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Alameda

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.