Eriogonum microtheca var. lapidicola

Inyo mountains buckwheat, Inyo Mountains Buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: shrub · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Inyo mountains buckwheat is a rare (CNPS 4.3) California native shrub found in the southern White and Inyo Mountains on rocky or gravelly sites at elevations of 2,600 to 3,100 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces delicate white to pink or rose-colored flowers in compact clusters about 2 to 6 centimeters long. Growing as a low subshrub 5 to 15 centimeters tall with a spread of 10 to 30 centimeters, it has densely tomentose stems that give the plant a soft, grayish appearance. Its small leaves are densely woolly, measuring just 3 to 7 millimeters long and 1 to 4 millimeters wide, with a fuzzy texture on both upper and lower surfaces. The fruit is relatively small, measuring 2.5 to 3 millimeters in length.

Habitat: Gravel or rocks

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 2600-3100 m

Bioregions: s W&ampI (Inyo Mtns)

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