Eriogonum siskiyouense
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum siskiyouense is a rare species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name Siskiyou buckwheat. It is endemic to the southern Klamath Mountains
of far northern California
, where it is known only from the area between Mount Eddy
and the Scott Mountains
around the border between Siskiyou
and Trinity Counties
. It is a member of the local serpentine soil
s flora. This perennial herb forms mats up to half a meter wide around a woody caudex
. It bears clusters of small rounded to oval leaves each under a centimeter long and coated in gray woolly fibers at least on the undersides. The flowering stem arising from the caudex has a whorl of two to four leaflike bract
s around the middle and is otherwise naked but for a coat of woolly hairs. Atop the scape are the bright yellow flowers, which are usually arranged in a spherical cluster.
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 Siskiyou buckwheat. It is endemic to the southern Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
of far northern California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where it is known only from the area between Mount Eddy
Mount Eddy
Mount Eddy is the highest summit in Trinity Mountains of the Klamath Mountains. This California mountain rises to an elevation of west of Mount Shasta City and the massive Mount Shasta volcano. The summit is the highest point in Trinity County and the ninth most prominent peak in California...
and the Scott Mountains
Scott Mountains (California)
The Scott Mountains are a mountain range in Siskiyou County, California....
around the border between Siskiyou
Siskiyou County, California
Siskiyou County is a county located in the far northernmost part of the U.S. state of California, in the Shasta Cascade region on the Oregon border. Yreka is the county seat. Because of its substantial natural beauty, outdoor recreation opportunities, and Gold Rush era history, it is an important...
and Trinity Counties
Trinity County, California
Trinity County is a large, rugged and mountainous, heavily forested county located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of California, along the Trinity River and within the Salmon/Klamath Mountains. It covers an area of over two million acres , and as of the 2010 census its population...
. It is a member of the local serpentine soil
Serpentine soil
A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....
s flora. This perennial herb forms mats up to half a meter wide around a woody 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 bears clusters of small rounded to oval leaves each under a centimeter long and coated in gray woolly fibers at least on the undersides. The flowering stem arising from the caudex has a whorl of two to four leaflike bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s around the middle and is otherwise naked but for a coat of woolly hairs. Atop the scape are the bright yellow flowers, which are usually arranged in a spherical cluster.