Eriogonum microtheca var. johnstonii

Johnston's buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.3

Johnston's buckwheat is a rare (CNPS 1B.3) California native shrub found in eastern San Gabriel Mountains and western San Bernardino Mountains on rocky sites at elevations of 2,600 to 2,900 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces white to reddish flowers in compact clusters approximately 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters long. Growing as a low subshrub 6 to 13 centimeters tall with a spread of 20 to 50 centimeters, it has a compact and densely branched form. Its small leaves are tomentose underneath, measuring 5 to 10 millimeters long and 3 to 5 millimeters wide, with surfaces ranging from hairy to nearly smooth. The compact growth and small white to reddish flowers make this buckwheat well-adapted to its rocky, high-elevation mountain habitat.

Habitat: Rocks

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 2600-2900 m

Bioregions: e SnGb, w SnBr.

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