Malacothamnus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Malacothamnus |
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| Malacothamnus fasciculatus | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Subfamily: | Malvoideae |
| Tribe: | Malveae |
| Genus: | Malacothamnus Greene |
Malacothamnus, also known as bush-mallow, is a group of shrubs. These plants grow mostly in California. You can find them on the mainland and some Channel Islands. They also grow in northern Baja California and parts of Arizona. Bush-mallows often appear after a wildfire. They are related to other plants like Iliamnas and Phymosias.
Understanding Bush-Mallows
Scientists group living things into categories. This is called taxonomy. For Malacothamnus, it's a bit tricky. There are different ideas about how many types, or species, of bush-mallows exist.
How Scientists Classify Them
- Some scientists, like Thomas Kearney, thought there were 28 different types.
- Others, like David Bates, recognized only 11 types.
- More recently, Tracey Slotta identified 17 types. She brought back some species that Bates had combined.
Scientists are still working to figure out the exact number. Keir Morse is doing new research. He uses both DNA and plant features to learn more. This helps to solve the puzzle of how many Malacothamnus species there are.
Known Species of Bush-Mallow
Here are some of the Malacothamnus species that scientists currently recognize:
- Malacothamnus abbottii – Abbott's bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus aboriginum – Indian Valley bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus arcuatus – arcuate bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus clementinus – San Clemente Island bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus davidsonii – Davidson's bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus densiflorus – many-flowered bushmallow, hispid bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus enigmaticus – enigmatic bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus fasciculatus – chaparral mallow, mesa bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. catalinensis - Catalina Island bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. fasciculatus - chaparral mallow, mesa bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. laxiflorus - lax-flowered bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. nesioticus - Santa Cruz Island bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus fasciculatus var. nuttallii - Nuttall's bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus foliosus – monarch bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus fremontii – Fremont's bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus gracilis – slender bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus hallii – Hall's bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus helleri – Heller's bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus involucratus – Carmel Valley bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus jonesii – Jones' bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus lucianus – Santa Lucia bush-mallow, Arroyo Seco bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus marrubioides – foothill bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus mendocinensis – Mendocino bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus orbiculatus – Tehachapi bush-mallow, round-leaved bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus niveus – San Luis Obispo bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus palmeri – Cambria bush-mallow, Palmer's bush-mallow
- Malacothamnus parishii – Parish's bush-mallow
