Eriogonum breedlovei
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum breedlovei is a rare species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name Paiute buckwheat. It is endemic to the High Sierra Nevada of California
, where its two varieties are uncommon members of the flora in granite
and limestone
rocky high mountain habitat.
is a cluster of tiny white to reddish, hairy flowers.
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 Paiute buckwheat. It is endemic to the High Sierra Nevada of California
California
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 its two varieties are uncommon members of the flora in granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
rocky high mountain habitat.
Description
Eriogonum breedlovei is a perennial herb forming low mats of spreading stems lined with woolly oval leaves no longer than about a centimeter. The 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...
is a cluster of tiny white to reddish, hairy flowers.
Varieties
Both varieties of this species are rare:- var. breedlovei, Breedlove's buckwheat, is endemic to the Piute MountainsPiute MountainsThe Piute Mountains are found in southeastern California, in the Mojave Desert. The range crosses Interstate 40 at Mountain Springs Summit, 2,770 feet above sea level....
of Kern County, CaliforniaKern County, CaliforniaSpreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, where only a few occurrences are known. - var. shevockii, Shevock's buckwheat or The Needles buckwheat, can be found on a few Sierra peaks, including The Needles, in Kern and Tulare CountiesTulare County, CaliforniaTulare County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Fresno. Sequoia National Park is located in the county, as are part of Kings Canyon National Park, in its northeast corner , and part of Mount Whitney, on its eastern border...
.