''Eriogonum cedrorum'' is a rare species of
wild buckwheat known by the common name The Cedars buckwheat. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Sonoma County, California where it is known only from The Cedars, an unincorporated area outside of
Guerneville near
Cazadero.
Distribution
The Cedars is known for its botanical riches, including the endemic plant species
Cedars fairy lantern and
serpentine fleabane.
[Raiche, R. (2009)]
The Cedars: Sonoma County's Hidden Treasure.
''Fremontia'' 37:2 3. The habitat is a
serpentine canyon surrounded by non-serpentine terrain and many rare serpentine-endemic plants are isolated within. Much of the flora is also adapted to alkaline conditions, growing among
seep
A seep or flush is a moist or wet place where water, usually groundwater, reaches the earth's surface from an underground aquifer.
Description
Seeps are usually not of sufficient volume to be flowing beyond their immediate above-ground location. ...
s of mineral-rich waters that can have a
pH up to 11.
[ This species of buckwheat was first collected in 1947 and described to science as a new species in 2009.][Reveal, J. L. and R. Raiche. (2009)]
''Eriogonum cedrorum'' (Polygonaceae: Eriogonoideae), a new species from northwestern California.
''J Bot Res Inst Texas'' 3:2 479-83. It can be found in three locations with an estimated 1500 to 2000 individuals in existence.[The Nature Conservancy]
/ref>
Description
''Eriogonum cedrorum'' is a mat-forming perennial herb growing up to half a meter wide with hairy or woolly herbage. It has a woody taproot
A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproo ...
and caudex unit covered in rosettes of leaves each up to 1.5 centimeters long by 1 wide. The inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a Plant stem, stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Morphology (biology), Morphologically, it is the modified part of the shoot of sperma ...
arises on an erect stem up to 8 centimeters. The inflorescence itself is a cluster of yellow flowers that quickly turn dark red. The stamens are tipped with yellow anthers.
References
External links
Jepson Manual Treatment - ''Eriogonum cedrorum''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5389351
cedrorum
Endemic flora of California
Endemic flora of the San Francisco Bay Area
Natural history of Sonoma County, California
Plants described in 2009
Critically endangered flora of California