''Malacothamnus orbiculatus'' is a species of flowering plant in the
mallow family known by the common names Tehachapi bushmallow and round-leaved bushmallow. It occurs in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
, where it is common after burns on the desert-facing slopes of mountains, and
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
, where it is currently only known from a few locations. ''Malacothamnus orbiculatus'' is occasionally treated within ''
Malacothamnus fremontii
''Malacothamnus fremontii'' is a species of flowering plant in the mallow family, which has two varieties, one of which is sometimes recognized as the species ''Malacothamnus helleri''. ''Malacothamnus fremontii'' is known by the common names u ...
'' but morphological, phylogenetic, and geographic evidence shows them to be distinct species, though there is a small zone of intergradation where their geographic ranges meet.
[Morse, K. 2023]
Malacothamnus Volume 1: A Morphological Assessment of Taxonomic Boundaries in the Genus Malacothamnus (Malvaceae).
/ref>[Morse, K. 2023]
Malacothamnus Volume 2: A Phylogenetic Assessment of Taxonomic Boundaries in the Genus Malacothamnus (Malvaceae).
/ref>[Morse, K. 2023]
Malacothamnus Volume 3: A Revised Treatment of the Genus Malacothamnus (Malvaceae) Based on Morphological and Phylogenetic Evidence.
/ref>
References
External links
Identification guide to ''Malacothamnus'' with maps and photosCalflora Profile: ''Malacothamnus orbiculatus''Calphotos image gallery for ''Malacothamnus orbiculatus''
Flora of California
Flora of Arizona
orbiculatus
Taxa named by Edward Lee Greene
Plants described in 1906
Flora without expected TNC conservation status
{{Malveae-stub