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Generally shrub, generally erect; hairs sparse to dense, stellate (stalked or sessile), simple, and glandular.
Leaf: petioled; blade unlobed to 3–7-lobed, coarsely or shaggy-hairy to tomentose.
Inflorescence: head- to panicle-like, flowers generally > 1 in leaf axils; bracts leaf-like or not, in involucre or not; bractlets 3, free, linear to lanceolate, persistent.
Flower: calyx 5-lobed; petals 5, pale pink-purple or white (often ± purple when dry); petals generally > calyx, fused at base; stamens open prior to stigma maturation; style branches 5–14.
Fruit: segments 5–14, 2–5 mm, separating, dehiscent, smooth, top hairy, beak 0.
Seed: 1 per segment, brown to black.
12 species: CA, nw Mex. (Greek: soft shrub) Malacothamnus foliosus (S. Watson) Kearney reported but evidently not documented for CA.
Unabridged etymology: (Greek: malakos, soft, thamnos, shrub)
Unabridged references: [Kearney 1951 Leafl W Bot 6:93–131; Fryxell 1988 Syst Bot Monogr:270–274]

Key to Malacothamnus

1. Infl head-like ..... M. palmeri

2. Involucre bracts 20 mm wide, often > petals; leaf ± glabrous adaxially ..... var. involucratus

2' Involucre bracts 12–13 mm wide, ± = petals; leaf hairy adaxially ..... var. palmeri

1' Infl spike- or panicle-like

3. Infl spike- or panicle-like

4. Hairs white; branches ± erect

5. Branches slender; leaves 3–5-lobed; flowers < 10 per node ..... M. clementinus

5' Branches stout; leaves shallowly 5-lobed; flowers 3–5 per node ..... M. fremontii

4' Hairs ± yellow; branches spreading or ± erect

6. Branches slender; leaves thin

7. Lvs sparsely short-hairy adaxially, long-shaggy-hairy abaxially, 3–5-lobed; flowers generally >= 10 per node; flowering stalks 10–15 mm; calyx hairs <= 3 mm ..... M. densiflorus

7' Lvs densely hairy, unlobed to ± 3–5-lobed; flowers 3–6 per node; flowering stalks < 4 mm; calyx hairs < 1 mm ..... M. marrubioides

6' Branches stout; leaves thick

8. Lf 3–5-lobed, abaxially veins ± not raised, hairs not denser; flowers generally ± 10 per node; leaf-like bracts many ..... M. aboriginum

8' Lf unlobed to obscure-3-lobed, abaxially veins raised, hairs denser; flowers 3–6 per node; leaf-like bracts 3–5 ..... M. orbiculatus

3' Infl panicle-like

9. Hairs ± yellow; stellate hairs with < 10 rays ..... M. davidsonii

9' Hairs white; stellate hairs with > 25 rays

10. Bractlets black in age ..... M. jonesii

10' Bractlets not black in age

11. Branches spreading or ± erect

12. Lf blade < 5 cm, veins prominent abaxially, hairs adaxially ± = abaxially ..... M. abbottii

12' Lf blade <= 7 cm, veins ± prominent abaxially, hairs adaxially < abaxially ..... M. hallii

11' Branches spreading ..... M. fasciculatus

13. Calyx lobes deltate to cordate; stellate hairs with long rays, especially on leaves abaxially; flowering stalks stout ..... var. catalinensis

13' Calyx lobes awl-shaped to lanceolate; stellate hairs with short rays; flowering stalks slender

14. Lf hairs adaxially ± = abaxially; filament column ± 1/2 petals ..... var. fasciculatus

14' Lf hairs ± 0 or adaxially > abaxially; filament column > 1/2 petals

15. Lvs thick, blade < 7 cm, shallowly lobed, adaxially ± glabrous ..... var. nesioticus

15' Lvs thin, blade < 8 cm, deeply lobed, adaxially ± hairy ..... var. nuttallii

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].
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