Eriogonum kennedyi var. alpigenum

Southern alpine buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Southern alpine buckwheat is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains in gravelly habitats at elevations of 2,500 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to August, this plant produces pale flowers in small, delicate clusters. Growing as a compact cushion-like perennial just 2 to 5 centimeters tall and spreading 1 to 4 meters in diameter, it forms dense, low mats with tomentose stems. Its tiny leaves, less than 4 millimeters long, are covered in reddish or brownish-white woolly hairs and have edges tightly rolled underneath. In gravelly alpine environments, this buckwheat creates intricate, low-growing formations that help it survive in harsh, high-elevation landscapes.

Habitat: Gravel

Bloom period: Jul-Aug

Elevation: 2500-3500 m

Bioregions: SnGb, SnBr.

California counties: San Bernardino, Los Angeles, Ventura

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.