Eriogonum polypodum

Tulare county buckwheat, Tulare County Buckwheat

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 4.3

Tulare county buckwheat is a native perennial herb ranked 4.3 by CNPS, found in southern Sierra Nevada Mountains, especially Tulare County, in sandy habitats at elevations of 2,800 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces chalky white flowers in compact heads 0.5 to 2 centimeters wide. Growing as a low spreading mat 1 to 4 decimeters in diameter, it develops tomentose stems reaching 5 to 15 centimeters tall. Its basal leaves are small and woolly, measuring 2 to 10 millimeters long, with dense tomentose surfaces that become smoother over time. The plant is generally dioecious, with distinctive chalky white perianth lobes that are oblong to narrowly obovate in shape.

Habitat: Sand

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: (2400)2800-3500 m

Bioregions: s SNH (esp Tulare Co.).

California counties: Tulare, Fresno, Sonoma, Inyo

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