Eriogonum pendulum
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum pendulum is a rare species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name Waldo buckwheat. It is endemic to the Klamath Mountains
of Josephine County, Oregon
, and Del Norte County, California
, where it is a member of the serpentine soil
s flora.
growing up to about half a meter tall with slender, spreading, woolly branches. There are sparse leaves along the stem, usually found in clusters at the tips and branching points. The leaves are widely lance-shaped and coated in white woolly fibers.
The top of the stem is occupied by the branching inflorescence
which bears clusters of very woolly, star-shaped white flowers each under a centimeter wide.
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 Waldo buckwheat. It is endemic to the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
of Josephine County, Oregon
Josephine County, Oregon
Josephine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. In 2010, its population was 82,713...
, and Del Norte County, California
Del Norte County, California
Del Norte County is a county located at the far northwest corner of the U.S. state of California on the Pacific adjacent to the Oregon border. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 28,610. The county seat is Crescent City, the county's only incorporated city. Del Norte is the abbreviated...
, where it is a member of the 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 flora.
Description
This uncommon plant is a small shrubShrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
growing up to about half a meter tall with slender, spreading, woolly branches. There are sparse leaves along the stem, usually found in clusters at the tips and branching points. The leaves are widely lance-shaped and coated in white woolly fibers.
The top of the stem is occupied by the branching 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...
which bears clusters of very woolly, star-shaped white flowers each under a centimeter wide.