Polygonum hickmanii

Scotts valley polygonum, Scotts Valley Polygonum

Family: Polygonaceae · Type: annual · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1 · Endangered

Scotts valley polygonum is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native annual found in northern San Francisco Bay region at the north end of Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz County, in open, seasonally dry grassland at elevations of 200 to 300 meters. Flowering from May to October, this plant produces white to pink-margined flowers with delicate orange-pink anthers, clustered in compact axillary clusters. Growing with extremely short erect stems 2 to 5 centimeters tall, it forms a distinctive cushion-like compact habit. Its linear leaves are narrow, just 1 to 1.5 millimeters wide, with margins rolled under and tapering to an acuminate tip. The tiny olive-brown fruit is smooth and shiny, measuring 2 to 2.5 millimeters long.

Habitat: Open, seasonally dry grassland

Bloom period: May-Oct

Elevation: 200-300 m

Bioregions: SnFrB (n end of Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz Co.).

California counties: Santa Cruz

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