| Malacothamnus davidsonii | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
|
Critically Imperiled (NatureServe) |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Subfamily: | Malvoideae |
| Genus: | Malacothamnus |
| Species: | M. davidsonii |
| Binomial name | |
| Malacothamnus davidsonii (B.L.Rob.) Greene |
|
Malacothamnus davidsonii is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family known by the common name Davidson's bushmallow.
Malacothamnus davidsonii is an erect shrub with a thick, multibranched stem reaching 3 to 5 meters in maximum height. It is coated densely in short, woolly fibers, appearing feltlike. The thick, hairy leaves are rounded, divided into several dull lobes, and wavy along the edges. The largest leaves may approach 20 centimeters long. The inflorescence is an elongated cluster of many pale pink, hairy flowers with oval or somewhat triangular petals about half a centimeter long.
Malacothamnus davidsonii is endemic to California, where it grows in chaparral, woodland, and other hillside habitats. It is known from three California areas: