Tehachapi buckwheat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tehachapi buckwheat |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Eriogonum
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| Species: |
callistum
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Eriogonum callistum is a very rare plant. It is a type of wild buckwheat. People often call it Tehachapi buckwheat.
Where It Lives
This special plant grows only in California. You can find it in the southwestern part of the Tehachapi Mountains. This area is in Kern County, which is in Southern California.
Scientists believe there are only about 2,000 of these plants left. They grow in a few spots on the eastern Tejon Ranch. This ranch is located between Castaic Lake and the Antelope Valley.
The Tehachapi buckwheat likes to grow in rocky soil. This soil is made of limestone. It lives in a type of habitat called chaparral. Here, it grows among other plants like manzanitas. Scientists first officially described this plant in 2006.
What It Looks Like
Eriogonum callistum is a plant that lives for many years. It forms a kind of mat on the ground. This mat is made of whitish-green leaves that feel woolly. It grows from a woody base. The plant can be up to 35 centimeters (about 14 inches) tall. It can spread out up to 1 meter (about 3 feet) wide.
It has a strong, woody taproot that goes deep into the ground. It also has a branching caudex, which is like a thick stem at the base. The plant has groups of leaves called rosettes. Each leaf can be up to 5 centimeters long and 2 centimeters wide. These leaves are covered in soft, grayish-white hairs.
The plant's flowers grow on a straight stem. This stem can be up to 45 centimeters (about 18 inches) tall. When the stem is new, it is whitish and hairy. As it gets older, it turns reddish. The flowers grow in a cluster. This cluster can have up to 35 flowers and be a few centimeters wide.
When the flowers are still buds, they are a little pink. When they open, they turn bright white. Inside the flowers, you can see stamens. These are the parts that hold pollen. The tips of the stamens, called anthers, are yellow or pink.
Why It's Special: Conservation
Eriogonum callistum is a very important plant in California. It is considered "Critically Imperiled." This means it is in extreme danger of disappearing forever.
It is listed on the California Native Plant Society's Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California. This list shows plants that need protection. The Tehachapi buckwheat is listed as "Seriously Endangered" in California. This means it is at very high risk of becoming extinct.
