Eriogonum callistum
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum callistum is a rare species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name Tehachapi buckwheat. It is endemic to the Tehachapi Mountains
of Kern County, California
, where there are an estimated 2000 individuals in existence. It grows in rocky limestone
soils in chaparral
habitat among manzanitas
. The plant was only described to science in 2006.
and branching caudex
. It is covered in rosettes of leaves each up to 5 centimeters long by 2 wide. The blades are coated densely in grayish white silky hairs.
The inflorescence
arises on an erect stem up to 40 or 45 centimeters tall which is whitish and hairy when new and turns reddish as it ages. The inflorescence itself is a cluster of up to 35 flowers a few centimeters wide. The woolly flowers are pink-tinged when in bud and turn bright white when open. The stamen
s are tipped with yellow or pink anthers.
Within genus Eriogonum this is the only species in the new section named Lanocephala in subgenus Eucycla.
Eriogonum
Eriogonum is the scientific name for a genus of flowering plants, in the family Polygonaceae. The genus is found in North America and is known as wild buckwheat. This is a highly species-rich genus, and indications are that active speciation is continuing...
known by the common name Tehachapi buckwheat. It is endemic to the Tehachapi Mountains
Tehachapi Mountains
The Tehachapi Mountains , regionally also called The Tehachapis, are a mountain range in the Transverse Ranges system of California in the Western United States...
of Kern County, California
Kern County, California
Spreading across the southern end of the California Central Valley, Kern County is the fifth-largest county by population in California. Its economy is heavily linked to agriculture and to petroleum extraction, and there is a strong aviation and space presence. Politically, it has generally...
, where there are an estimated 2000 individuals in existence. It grows in rocky limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
soils in chaparral
Chaparral
Chaparral is a shrubland or heathland plant community found primarily in the U.S. state of California and in the northern portion of the Baja California peninsula, Mexico...
habitat among manzanitas
Arctostaphylos
Arctostaphylos is a genus of plants comprised by the manzanitas and bearberries. They are shrubs or small trees.There are about 60 species of Arctostaphylos, ranging from ground-hugging arctic, coastal, and mountain species to small trees up to 6 m tall. Most are evergreen , with small oval...
. The plant was only described to science in 2006.
Description
Eriogonum callistum is a perennial herb forming a mat of woolly whitish green herbage on a woody base measuring up to 35 centimeters tall and up to a meter wide. It grows from a woody taprootTaproot
A taproot is an enlarged, somewhat straight to tapering plant root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally.Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant...
and branching caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
. It is covered in rosettes of leaves each up to 5 centimeters long by 2 wide. The blades are coated densely in grayish white silky hairs.
The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
arises on an erect stem up to 40 or 45 centimeters tall which is whitish and hairy when new and turns reddish as it ages. The inflorescence itself is a cluster of up to 35 flowers a few centimeters wide. The woolly flowers are pink-tinged when in bud and turn bright white when open. The stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s are tipped with yellow or pink anthers.
Within genus Eriogonum this is the only species in the new section named Lanocephala in subgenus Eucycla.