Eriogonum prattenianum
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum prattenianum is a species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name Nevada City buckwheat.
growing up to about half a meter tall when erect in form or growing in a clump or mat lined with oval-shaped woolly leaves. The inflorescence
arises on a slender scape and bears a rounded cluster of yellow flowers.
, where it can be found in many scattered disjunct populations
in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills.
and Fresno Counties
. The latter is generally a smaller plant than the former.
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 Nevada City buckwheat.
Description
Eriogonum prattenianum is a small shrubShrub
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...
growing up to about half a meter tall when erect in form or growing in a clump or mat lined with oval-shaped woolly leaves. 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...
arises on a slender scape and bears a rounded cluster of yellow flowers.
Distribution
Eriogonum prattenianum is endemic to CaliforniaCalifornia
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 can be found in many scattered disjunct populations
Disjunct distribution
In biology, a taxon with a disjunct distribution is one that has two or more groups that are related but widely separated from each other geographically...
in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills.
Taxonomy
There are two varieties of this species. The more common var. prattenianum occurs in scattered populations in the mountains and foothills, while the uncommon var. avium is limited to granite outcrops in the Sierra Nevada slopes of MaderaMadera County, California
Madera County is a county of the U.S. state of California, located in the Central Valley and the Sierra Nevada north of Fresno County. It comprises the Madera-Chowchilla, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census the population was 150,865...
and Fresno Counties
Fresno County, California
Fresno County is a county located in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California, south of Stockton and north of Bakersfield. As of the 2010 census, it is the tenth most populous county in California with a population of 930,450, and the sixth largest in size with an area of . The county...
. The latter is generally a smaller plant than the former.