Eriogonum nudum var. decurrens

Ben lomond buckwheat, Ben Lomond Buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Ben lomond buckwheat is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in the southern San Francisco Bay area's Santa Cruz Sandhills in sandy habitats at elevations of 90 to 200 meters. Flowering from July to October, this plant produces white flowers in delicate, open clusters up to 60 centimeters wide. Growing with tall stems 50 to 120 centimeters high that are tomentose and generally inflated, it has a distinctively woolly appearance. Its leaves are narrow, 1 to 3 centimeters long, with woolly undersides and sparse hairs on the upper surface. The plant forms expansive, open branching patterns that create an airy, elegant silhouette in its sandy coastal habitat.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: Jul-Oct

Elevation: 90-200 m

Bioregions: s SnFrB (Santa Cruz Sandhills, Santa Cruz Co.).

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