Eriogonum ovalifolium var. monarchense

Monarch buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Monarch buckwheat is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains in the Kings River Canyon area of Fresno County, growing on rocky terrain at elevations around 1,800 meters. Flowering from June to August, this plant produces white to cream-colored flowers in compact clusters. Growing with decumbent to ascending stems 2 to 9 centimeters tall and densely covered in soft tomentose hairs, it forms a low, spreading mat approximately 1.5 to 3 decimeters in diameter. Its small oval leaves, measuring 0.3 to 1.2 centimeters long, are also covered in soft tomentose hairs with smooth margins. The compact, tightly clustered flower clusters are 1.5 to 4 centimeters wide, with multiple small involucres 5 to 8 millimeters long.

Habitat: Rocks

Bloom period: Jun-Aug

Elevation: 1800 m

Bioregions: s SNH (Kings River Canyon area, Fresno Co.).

California counties: Fresno

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