''Eriogonum cinereum'' is a species of
wild buckwheat known by the common names coastal buckwheat and ashyleaf buckwheat.
[ Calflora: ''Eriogonum cinereum'']
/ref>[Flora of North America profile of ''Eriogonum cinereum'']
/ref>
Distribution
This shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
is endemic to the coastline of Southern California, primarily within Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, officially the County of Los Angeles, and sometimes abbreviated as L.A. County, is the most populous county in the United States and in the U.S. state of California, with 9,861,224 residents estimated as of 2022. It is the ...
and Ventura County.[
It grows on beaches in coastal strand habitats and on bluffs and lower slopes of the Western Transverse Ranges, including the Santa Monica Mountains, in ]chaparral
Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant community and geographical feature found primarily in the U.S. state of California, in southern Oregon, and in the northern portion of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. It is shaped by a Mediterranean c ...
coastal sage scrub
Coastal sage scrub, also known as coastal scrub, CSS, or soft chaparral, is a low scrubland plant community of the California coastal sage and chaparral subecoregion, found in coastal California and northwestern coastal Baja California. It is w ...
habitats below .[
]
Description
''Eriogonum cinereum'' can reach from in height and width. It is light silvery gray in color due to the woolly hairs on its stems and foliage. The leaves are wavy-edged ovals one to three centimeters long.[
The inflorescences stick out from the plant, each with one to several flower cluster heads of tiny tightly-packed frilly flowers which are usually light whitish-pink to brownish-pink in color, and quite hairy.][
]
Uses
This is the foodplant for ''Euphilotes
''Euphilotes'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, which consists of a number of species found in western North America. Some of the species are endangered, such as the Smith's blue butterfly, Smith's blue, ''Euphilotes enoptes sm ...
bernardino'', the Bernardino dotted blue butterfly. Buckwheats (''Eriogonum'' sp.) are very important for various butterflies and native wasps.[ Las Pilitas Nursery Horticulture Database: ''Eriogonum cinereum'' (Ashyleaf buckwheat)]
/ref>
Cultivation
''Eriogonum cinereum'' is cultivated as an ornamental plant, for planting in native plant, drought tolerant, and butterfly gardens and other wildlife gardens, and for larger designed natural landscaping and habitat restoration projects.[
]
References
External links
Calflora Database: ''Eriogonum cinereum'' (Ashyleaf buckwheat, Coastal wild buckwheat, Grey coast eriogonum)Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Eriogonum cinereum''UC Photos gallery of ''Eriogonum cinereum''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5389353
cinereum
Endemic flora of California
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains
Natural history of the Transverse Ranges
Natural history of Los Angeles County, California
Natural history of Ventura County, California
Taxa named by George Bentham
Garden plants of North America
Butterfly food plants
Drought-tolerant plants