Eriogonum kennedyi var. purpusii
Purpus' wild buckwheat
Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Purpus' wild buckwheat is a California native perennial found in central and eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, eastern Sierra Nevada, and northwestern desert mountains including Argus and Coso ranges in gravelly habitats at elevations of 1,500 to 2,500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small white to pale flowers in compact clusters about 2 to 2.5 millimeters long. Growing as a low-spreading plant 4 to 12 centimeters tall with a width of 10 to 30 centimeters, it forms dense, ground-hugging mats. Its small leaves are distinctively white-woolly, measuring 3 to 6 millimeters long with flat margins, creating a soft, compact appearance. The plant's fruit is 2.5 to 3 millimeters long, complementing its delicate desert mountain habitat.
Habitat: Gravel
Bloom period: May-Jul
Elevation: 1500-2500 m
Bioregions: c&s SN (e slope), SNE, nw DMtns (Argus, Coso ranges)
California counties: Inyo, Mono, Kern, Tulare
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.