Eriogonum tripodum
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum tripodum is a rare species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name tripod buckwheat. It is endemic to California
, where it is known from the Sierra Nevada foothills and northern sections of the Coast Ranges.
s flora. This is a spreading subshrub
growing up to about half a meter tall and wide with mostly hairless flowering stems arising from a caudex
. The base of the plant is covered in clusters of widely lance-shaped leaves which are woolly in texture, especially on the undersides.
The inflorescence
atop the stem is a head or umbel
of bright yellow flowers, each of which is hairy and connected to the cluster by a very narrow base like a stalk.
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 tripod buckwheat. It is endemic to 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 it is known from the Sierra Nevada foothills and northern sections of the Coast Ranges.
Description
Eriogonum tripodum is generally part of the serpentine soilSerpentine 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. This is a spreading subshrub
Shrub
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 and wide with mostly hairless flowering stems arising from a caudex
Caudex
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...
. The base of the plant is covered in clusters of widely lance-shaped leaves which are woolly in texture, 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...
atop the stem is a head or umbel
Umbel
An umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
of bright yellow flowers, each of which is hairy and connected to the cluster by a very narrow base like a stalk.