Eriogonum mensicola

Pinyon mesa buckwheat, Pinyon Mesa Buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Pinyon mesa buckwheat is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native perennial found in the western Inyo Mountains and northern Death Valley Mountains, including Panamint and Coso ranges, on rocky slopes at elevations of 1,800 to 2,700 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces delicate white to white-brown flowers in compact clusters with oblanceolate perianth lobes. Growing with densely woolly stems 15 to 30 centimeters tall and spreading 10 to 20 centimeters wide, it forms a low, compact cushion-like form. Its basal leaves are rounded, measuring 5 to 15 millimeters long, and densely covered in white tomentose (woolly) indumentum. The small fruits are smooth and measure 2.5 to 3 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Rocky slopes

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: 1800-2700 m

Bioregions: W&ampI (Inyo Mtns), n DMtns (Panamint, Coso ranges)

California counties: Inyo

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