Eriogonum apricum
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum apricum is a rare species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name Ione buckwheat. It is endemic to Amador County, California
, in the United States.
with minute flowers each only a few millimeters wide. There are two varieties of this plant; var. prostratum is sometimes called Irish Hill buckwheat.
, where it is known from fewer than ten occurrences in Amador County. It is named after Apricum Hill, one of its few known locations between Ione
and Buena Vista
. It is a state and federally listed endangered species
.
soil type. It is a member of a plant community known as the Ione Manzanita Series, where it is commonly associated with the Ione manzanita
(Arctostaphylos myrtifolia), another rare plant.
from the mining
of common sand
, silica sand, clay
, and lignite
is a major threat.
Eriogonum
Eriogonum is the scientific name for a genus of flowering plants, in the family Polygonaceae. The genus is found in North America and is known as wild buckwheat. This is a highly species-rich genus, and indications are that active speciation is continuing...
known by the common name Ione buckwheat. It is endemic to Amador County, California
Amador County, California
Amador County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, the population was 38,091. The county seat is Jackson.Amador County bills itself as "The Heart of the Mother Lode" and lies within the Gold Country...
, in the United States.
Description
This is a small perennial herb growing in patches no more than 25 centimeters wide and tall. Its straggly erect stems are mostly naked and reddish or brown in color, and they have a few tiny, round, fuzzy leaves toward the base. Atop each thin branch of the stem is an inflorescenceInflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
with minute flowers each only a few millimeters wide. There are two varieties of this plant; var. prostratum is sometimes called Irish Hill buckwheat.
Distribution
This rare plant is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known from fewer than ten occurrences in Amador County. It is named after Apricum Hill, one of its few known locations between Ione
Ione, California
Ione is a city in Amador County, California, United States. The population was 7,918 at the 2010 census, up from 7,129 at the 2000 census. Once known as "Bed-Bug" and "Freeze Out," Ione was an important supply center on the main road to the Mother Lode and Southern Mines during the California Gold...
and Buena Vista
Buena Vista, Amador County, California
Buena Vista is a census-designated place in Amador County, California. It lies at an elevation of 295 feet . It is located south-southeast of Ione, at . The community is in ZIP code 95640 and area code 209...
. It is a state and federally listed endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
.
Ecology
This plant grows on and is named for the Ione Formation, a local geologic formation of the iron-rich oxisolOxisol
Oxisols are an order in USDA soil taxonomy, best known for their occurrence in tropical rain forest, 15-25 degrees north and south of the Equator. Some oxisols have been previously classified as laterite soils.-Formation:...
soil type. It is a member of a plant community known as the Ione Manzanita Series, where it is commonly associated with the Ione manzanita
Arctostaphylos myrtifolia
Arctostaphylos myrtifolia is a rare species of manzanita known by the common name Ione manzanita. It is endemic to the Sierra Nevada foothills of California. It grows in the chaparral and woodland plant community on a distinctive acidic soil series in western Amador and Calaveras Counties...
(Arctostaphylos myrtifolia), another rare plant.
Conservation
Threats to the survival of this endangered species include agriculture, development, and erosion. Habitat destructionHabitat destruction
Habitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
from the mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
of common sand
Sand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
, silica sand, clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, and lignite
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, or Rosebud coal by Northern Pacific Railroad,is a soft brown fuel with characteristics that put it somewhere between coal and peat...
is a major threat.