Eriogonum pelinophilum
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum pelinophilum is a rare species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name clay-loving wild buckwheat. It is endemic to the state of Colorado
in the United States, where it is known from only two counties. The most recent estimates available suggest there are 12 occurrences in existence for a total of about 278,000 individual plants in Delta
and Montrose Counties
. At least 7 occurrences observed in the past have not been relocated but are not yet believed extirpated
. This plant is federally listed as an endangered species
of the United States.
This plant was first collected in 1958 but proved difficult to relocate in the wild. When it was finally found, Eriogonum expert James L. Reveal examined it in the field, compared it to the similar buckwheat Eriogonum contortum, and named it as a new species in 1973. Recent genetic analysis
confirms that these two species and Eriogonum clavellatum are indeed similar but are 3 distinct species.
The clay-loving wild buckwheat is known only from the adobe
clay
hills and flats near Delta
and Montrose, Colorado
. All the occurrences can be found within an area of land 28.5 miles long by 11.5 miles wide. The substrate is pale whitish clay with an alkaline pH
that originated from Cretaceous
marine sediment. This is not generally a soil type that is hospitable to most plant life; it is very fine-grained, dense, compacted, rich in calcium carbonate
, and prone to shrinking and swelling. The soil does not retain water, the pH is high, it is not easy for root
s to penetrate, and there is little oxygen
. The clay-loving wild buckwheat grows in areas where some moisture is retained, such as swales, where snow
persists a bit longer. The habitat supports a few other plants that tolerate the landscape, including mat saltbrush (Atriplex corrugata) and black sagebrush
(Artemisia nova), and another adobe-adapted local endemic, the Adobe Hills beardtongue (Penstemon retrorsa). In most areas, the clay-loving buckwheat is the dominant species
.
This is a subshrub
with branches spreading wider than they grow tall, the plant reaching perhaps 12 centimeters tall by 40 wide. The woody stem bases emerge from a big taproot
, and as they age the bark comes off in strips or plates. The upper branches are hairless or tufted with bits of hair. There are solitary leaves widely spaced on the branches. They are lance-shaped, no more than 1.5 centimeters long, and hairy on the undersides. The inflorescence
is a small, dense cyme of flowers 2 or 3 centimeters long and packed with tiny whitish or cream-colored flowers. The flowers are pollinated
by ant
s, of which 18 species have been observed on the plants.
This plant has a limited distribution and is found only on a specific substrate. 75% of its habitat is on privately owned land with little protection. Its limited range is threatened by a number of forces. Nearby towns have experienced rapid growth, which has led to an expansion of residential areas with construction of houses, power line
s and other utilities, and roads. The area lies within the Uncompahgre River Valley
, which hosts agricultural
operations fed by a number of canal
s and ditch
es. These have access roads. The construction and maintenance of the canals and roads create disturbance in the habitat and help introduce invasive plants
to the area. Sediment
scooped from the canals is dumped in the plant's habitat. About 40% of the plant's total habitat is affected by these activities. Off-road vehicle
use damages the landscape by compacting and eroding
soil, creating dust
, fragmenting
the habitat, and crushing individual plants. The adobe clay substrate is easily broken and eroded because it is bare and contains few plant roots to hold it together. ORV use is currently prohibited in much of the plant's habitat, but if federal protection was removed the threat would be greater.
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 clay-loving wild buckwheat. It is endemic to the state of Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
in the United States, where it is known from only two counties. The most recent estimates available suggest there are 12 occurrences in existence for a total of about 278,000 individual plants in Delta
Delta County, Colorado
Delta County is the 17th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 27,834 in the 2000 U.S. Census. The county seat is the City of Delta...
and Montrose Counties
Montrose County, Colorado
Montrose County is the 17th most populous of the 64 counties of the State of Colorado of the United States. The county population was 41,276 at U.S. Census 2010. The county was named for its county seat, the City of Montrose...
. At least 7 occurrences observed in the past have not been relocated but are not yet believed extirpated
Local extinction
Local extinction, also known as extirpation, is the condition of a species which ceases to exist in the chosen geographic area of study, though it still exists elsewhere...
. This plant is federally listed as an endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
of the United States.
This plant was first collected in 1958 but proved difficult to relocate in the wild. When it was finally found, Eriogonum expert James L. Reveal examined it in the field, compared it to the similar buckwheat Eriogonum contortum, and named it as a new species in 1973. Recent genetic analysis
Genetic analysis
Genetic analysis can be used generally to describe methods both used in and resulting from the sciences of genetics and molecular biology, or to applications resulting from this research....
confirms that these two species and Eriogonum clavellatum are indeed similar but are 3 distinct species.
The clay-loving wild buckwheat is known only from the adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
hills and flats near Delta
Delta, Colorado
The City of Delta is the county seat and the most populous city of Delta County, Colorado, United States. The population was 8,915 at the 2010 census...
and Montrose, Colorado
Montrose, Colorado
The City of Montrose is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Montrose County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 15,479 in 2005. The main road that leads in and out of Montrose is U.S...
. All the occurrences can be found within an area of land 28.5 miles long by 11.5 miles wide. The substrate is pale whitish clay with an alkaline pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
that originated from Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
marine sediment. This is not generally a soil type that is hospitable to most plant life; it is very fine-grained, dense, compacted, rich in calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
, and prone to shrinking and swelling. The soil does not retain water, the pH is high, it is not easy for root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s to penetrate, and there is little oxygen
Oxygen
Oxygen is the element with atomic number 8 and represented by the symbol O. Its name derives from the Greek roots ὀξύς and -γενής , because at the time of naming, it was mistakenly thought that all acids required oxygen in their composition...
. The clay-loving wild buckwheat grows in areas where some moisture is retained, such as swales, where snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
persists a bit longer. The habitat supports a few other plants that tolerate the landscape, including mat saltbrush (Atriplex corrugata) and black sagebrush
Artemisia nova
Artemisia nova is a species of sagebrush known by the common name black sagebrush.It is native to the western United States from California to Montana to New Mexico, where it grows in forest, woodland, and grassland habitats. It is "one of the most common shrubs in the western United States"...
(Artemisia nova), and another adobe-adapted local endemic, the Adobe Hills beardtongue (Penstemon retrorsa). In most areas, the clay-loving buckwheat is the dominant species
Dominance (ecology)
Ecological dominance is the degree to which a species is more numerous than its competitors in an ecological community, or makes up more of the biomass...
.
This is a subshrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
with branches spreading wider than they grow tall, the plant reaching perhaps 12 centimeters tall by 40 wide. The woody stem bases emerge from a big taproot
Taproot
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 as they age the bark comes off in strips or plates. The upper branches are hairless or tufted with bits of hair. There are solitary leaves widely spaced on the branches. They are lance-shaped, no more than 1.5 centimeters long, and hairy on the undersides. 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...
is a small, dense cyme of flowers 2 or 3 centimeters long and packed with tiny whitish or cream-colored flowers. The flowers are pollinated
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
by ant
Ant
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than...
s, of which 18 species have been observed on the plants.
This plant has a limited distribution and is found only on a specific substrate. 75% of its habitat is on privately owned land with little protection. Its limited range is threatened by a number of forces. Nearby towns have experienced rapid growth, which has led to an expansion of residential areas with construction of houses, power line
Power Line
Power Line is an American political blog, providing news and commentary from a conservative point-of-view. It was originally written by three lawyers who attended Dartmouth College together: John H. Hinderaker, Scott W. Johnson, and Paul Mirengoff...
s and other utilities, and roads. The area lies within the Uncompahgre River Valley
Uncompahgre River
The Uncompahgre River is a tributary of the Gunnison River, approximately 75 mi long, in southwestern Colorado in the United States. Lake Como at 12,215 ft in northern San Juan County, in the Uncompahgre National Forest in the northwestern San Juan Mountains is the headwaters of the...
, which hosts agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
operations fed by a number of canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
s and ditch
Ditch
A ditch is usually defined as a small to moderate depression created to channel water.In Anglo-Saxon, the word dïc already existed and was pronounced 'deek' in northern England and 'deetch' in the south. The origins of the word lie in digging a trench and forming the upcast soil into a bank...
es. These have access roads. The construction and maintenance of the canals and roads create disturbance in the habitat and help introduce invasive plants
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
to the area. Sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
scooped from the canals is dumped in the plant's habitat. About 40% of the plant's total habitat is affected by these activities. Off-road vehicle
Off-road vehicle
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks...
use damages the landscape by compacting and eroding
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
soil, creating dust
Dust
Dust consists of particles in the atmosphere that arise from various sources such as soil dust lifted up by wind , volcanic eruptions, and pollution...
, fragmenting
Habitat fragmentation
Habitat fragmentation as the name implies, describes the emergence of discontinuities in an organism's preferred environment , causing population fragmentation...
the habitat, and crushing individual plants. The adobe clay substrate is easily broken and eroded because it is bare and contains few plant roots to hold it together. ORV use is currently prohibited in much of the plant's habitat, but if federal protection was removed the threat would be greater.