Eriogonum kelloggii
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum kelloggii is a rare species of wild buckwheat
known by the common names Red Mountain buckwheat and Kellogg's buckwheat. It is endemic to Mendocino County, California
, where it is known from only five occurrences on Red Mountain near Leggett
. It grows in woodland habitat on clay
and serpentine soil
s.
at the base. The oblong leaves are no more than a centimeter long and are coated with silvery, soft hairs, especially on the undersides. The inflorescence
arises on an erect peduncle
, bearing many tiny white to pink flowers in a headlike cluster. This species is considered endangered by the state of California, but has no federal listing.
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 names Red Mountain buckwheat and Kellogg's buckwheat. It is endemic to Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County, California
Mendocino County is a county located on the north coast of the U.S. state of California, north of the greater San Francisco Bay Area and west of the Central Valley. As of the 2010 census, the population was 87,841, up from 86,265 at the 2000 census...
, where it is known from only five occurrences on Red Mountain near Leggett
Leggett, California
Leggett is a census-designated place in Mendocino County, California. It is located on the South Fork of the Eel River northwest of Laytonville, at an elevation of 984 feet . It is home to some of the largest trees in the world...
. It grows in woodland habitat on 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 serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s.
Description
This is a perennial herb forming a low, spreading mat with a woody caudexCaudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
at the base. The oblong leaves are no more than a centimeter long and are coated with silvery, soft hairs, especially on the undersides. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
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...
arises on an erect peduncle
Peduncle (botany)
In botany, a peduncle is a stem supporting an inflorescence, or after fecundation, an infructescence.The peduncle is a stem, usually green and without leaves, though sometimes colored or supporting small leaves...
, bearing many tiny white to pink flowers in a headlike cluster. This species is considered endangered by the state of California, but has no federal listing.