Family: Malvaceae
Group: Dicot
Substrate:
Terrestrial
Habit:
Shrub
Perennation:
Perennial
Native Range: Florida and the Bahamas
IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status:
Critically Imperiled
Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida
SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence:
Present
SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status:
Native
South Florida History and Distribution: This species was not recognized as part of the flora of South Florida during the IRC's 2002 assessment of the Rare Plants of South Florida (Gann et al. 2002). Recent work by Alan Franck (Weakley et al. 2021) suggests that
Waltheria bahamensis may have been misidentified as the common
W. indica. Several historical specimens from across South Florida have been redetermined as
W. bahamensis and this species is currently known from two protected areas. Using updated NatureServe criteria we ranked this species as critically imperiled in 2025.
SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status:
Not Cultivated
Comments: Walteria bahamensis can be distinguished from
W. indica by its smaller stature, prostrate to spreading stems, of which there are often several from the base of the plant. Its leaves are smaller with an upper surface covered in stellate hairs that rarely overlap. For more see Weakley et al. 2021.
FLORIDA KEYS Occurrence:
Presumed Extirpated
FLORIDA KEYS Native Status:
Not Native, Naturalized
IRC FLORIDA KEYS Status:
Possibly Extirpated
Map of select IRC data for the Florida Keys
Florida Keys History and Distribution:
