Eriogonum ochrocephalum var. ochrocephalum

Ochre-flowered buckwheat, Ochre-Flowered Buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 2B.2

Ochre-flowered buckwheat is a rare (CNPS 2B.2) California native perennial found in the Modoc Plateau in clay habitats at elevations of 1,300 to 1,700 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces yellow flowers in dense head-like clusters approximately 1.5 to 2.5 centimeters wide. Growing as a low-spreading mat with stems 5 to 15 centimeters tall, it forms compact perennial clusters with glandular stems beneath the flower heads. Its basal leaves are densely tomentose, measuring 1 to 2 centimeters long and 0.5 to 1 centimeter wide, forming a compact ground-hugging rosette. The small yellow flowers have widely oblong perianth lobes, creating delicate clusters characteristic of this distinctive buckwheat variety.

Habitat: Clay

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1300-1700 m

Bioregions: MP

California counties: Lassen, Mono

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