Eriogonum rixfordii
Encyclopedia
Eriogonum rixfordii is an uncommon species of wild buckwheat
known by the common name pagoda buckwheat. It is native to the Mojave Desert
, where it grows in California
's Death Valley
and adjacent parts of Nevada
.
, with a narrow base of stems spreading out into a wider inflorescence
, which is a multilayered array of slender branches. The branches are lined with tiny bell-shaped clusters of minute white to reddish flowers.
One threat to the survival of the interesting-looking plant is collectors who pick it and take it home.
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 pagoda buckwheat. It is native to the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
, where it grows in California
California
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...
's Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
and adjacent parts of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
.
Description
This is an annual herb growing up to 40 centimeters tall. It is shaped like a pagodaPagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
, with a narrow base of stems spreading out into a wider 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...
, which is a multilayered array of slender branches. The branches are lined with tiny bell-shaped clusters of minute white to reddish flowers.
One threat to the survival of the interesting-looking plant is collectors who pick it and take it home.