Basalt desert buckwheat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Basalt desert buckwheat |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eriogonum
|
| Species: |
codium
|
Eriogonum codium, also called the basalt desert buckwheat, is a special kind of wild buckwheat plant. It only grows in Washington State in the United States. You can find it only in the Hanford Reach National Monument in Benton County. Scientists first found this plant in 1995. They officially named and described it in 1997.
Contents
What is the Basalt Desert Buckwheat?
The basalt desert buckwheat is a small plant. It is known for its unique look and where it grows. It is a very rare plant.
What Does it Look Like?
This plant is a perennial herb. This means it lives for many years. It grows low to the ground like a mat. It has many stems that branch out. The plant is greenish and feels woolly. Its leaves are also very woolly and can be up to 1.2 centimeters long.
Tiny, woolly, lemon-yellow flowers grow on top of the stems. These flowers appear from May through August. Scientists have studied the plant's growth rings. They found that some of these plants can live for 100 years or even longer!
Where Does it Live?
There is only one known group of these plants in the world. In 2005, there were about 4,418 individual plants. This group lives on a rocky ridge. The ridge is about 2.5 kilometers long and 30 meters wide.
The ridge is made of basalt lava rock. This rock is part of a large geological formation called the Wanapum Basalt. The plants grow on this basalt rock. They have a layer of pumice soil on top. This area is very open and windy. It is a shrubsteppe habitat.
Other plants that grow nearby include Grayia spinosa and Salvia dorrii. Western harvester ants are also found here. These ants collect and eat the seeds of the basalt desert buckwheat.
Why is it in Danger?
The basalt desert buckwheat faces several threats. These dangers could cause the plant to disappear.
Fire: A Big Threat
Fire is probably the biggest danger to this plant. In 1996, a fire spread to the ridge where these plants live. About 800 plants died. This was about 15% of the whole group.
This plant does not handle fire well. It is sensitive to heat. Even plants that were just slightly burned died. Unlike some plants, it does not grow back from its base after a fire. It also does not produce many new seeds after a fire.
Fires also help introduced species like cheatgrass spread. When cheatgrass grows, it makes future fires more likely and more severe. Even Firefighting activities can sometimes harm the plants.
Other Dangers
Other things can also harm the basalt desert buckwheat. People using off-road vehicles can drive over the plants. This can crush them. Some plants have died this way.
Livestock like cows could also be a threat, but they are not a problem right now. People who collect rocks sometimes visit the ridge. This activity could also damage the plants.
Protecting This Plant
Because it is so rare and faces many threats, the basalt desert buckwheat is being considered for federal protection. This means the government might create special rules to help keep it safe.
