Eriogonum cedrorum

Eriogonum cedrorum
Conservation status
Critically Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Caryophyllales
Family:	Polygonaceae
Genus:	Eriogonum
Species:	E. cedrorum
Binomial name
Eriogonum cedrorum Reveal & Raiche

Eriogonum cedrorum is a rare species of wild buckwheat known by the common name The Cedars buckwheat. It is endemic 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.^[2] 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 seeps of mineral-rich waters that can have a pH up to 11.^[2] This species of buckwheat was first collected in 1947 and described to science as a new species in 2009.^[3] It can be found in three locations with an estimated 1500 to 2000 individuals in existence.^[1]

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 and caudex unit covered in rosettes of leaves each up to 1.5 centimeters long by 1 wide. The inflorescence 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

1. NatureServe (7 April 2023). "Eriogonum cedrorum". NatureServe Network Biodiversity Location Data accessed through NatureServe Explorer. Arlington, Virginia: NatureServe. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
2. Raiche, R. (April 2009). "The Cedars: Sonoma County's Hidden Treasure" (PDF). Fremontia. Vol. 37, no. 2. California Native Plant Society. pp. 3–15. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
3. Reveal, J.L.; Raiche, R. (2009). "Eriogonum cedrorum (Polygonaceae: Eriogonoideae), a new species from northwestern California". Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 3 (2): 479–483. JSTOR 41971826.

External links

• Jepson Manual Treatment - Eriogonum cedrorum. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
• California Native Plant Society Rare Plant Profile: Eriogonum cedrorum. Retrieved 29 April 2023.