Vanishing wild buckwheat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vanishing wild buckwheat
Conservation status
Critically Imperiled (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Eriogonum
Species:	evanidum

Eriogonum evanidum, also known as the vanishing wild buckwheat, is a very rare plant. It's a type of wild buckwheat that grows in southern California and Baja California. Sadly, most places where it used to grow no longer have it. This plant hasn't been seen since 1967. Because of this, some people think it might be completely extinct. Scientists officially described it as a new species in 2004. They used older plant samples that looked a bit different from another type of buckwheat. These samples came from mountains in southern California, including Bear Valley and Pine Valley.

What Does It Look Like?

The vanishing wild buckwheat is an annual herb. This means it grows from a seed, flowers, and then dies all within one year.

• It has thin, straight stems that grow about 10 to 20 centimeters tall. That's like 4 to 8 inches.
• At the bottom of the plant, you'll find small, fuzzy leaves. Each leaf is about one centimeter long and one centimeter wide.
• The main stem has branches that hold tiny flowers.
• These flowers are yellowish and grow in small groups. Each flower is only about one millimeter long, which is super tiny!