Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum

Cushenbury buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Cushenbury buckwheat is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in the northeastern San Bernardino Mountains, specifically in Cushenbury Canyon, growing on gravel or rocky terrain at elevations of 1,500 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from May to June, this plant produces delicate white to cream flowers in compact clusters 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters wide. Growing with erect or nearly erect stems 3 to 6 centimeters tall that are slightly hairy, it forms a low, rounded plant approximately 15 to 25 centimeters in diameter. Its oval leaves are densely woolly, measuring 7 to 12 millimeters long with soft, uniform margins. The plant's compact, low-growing form and white flower clusters make it a distinctive inhabitant of its harsh, rocky high-elevation habitat.

Habitat: Gravel or rocks

Bloom period: May-Jun

Elevation: 1500-2100 m

Bioregions: ne SnBr (Cushenbury Canyon).

California counties: San Bernardino, Mono

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