Eriogonum argophyllum is a species of wild buckwheat known by the common names Sulphur Hot Springs buckwheat, Silver Lake buckwheat, and Ruby Valley buckwheat. It is endemic to Nevada in the United States, where there is only one known population.[2][3]
This rare plant is a mat-forming perennialherb growing just a few centimeters tall. It is covered in gray woolly fibers. It produces erect stems a few centimeters tall topped with rounded inflorescences no more than a centimeter wide. The flowers are yellow.[5] Flowering occurs in June and July,[3] sometimes until September.[5]
As with other species of buckwheats, E. argophyllum has small, aggregated, open flowers that are readily accessible to being visited by a large assortment of insects.[6] Pollinators include bees in the family Halictidae, wasps in the families Sphecidae and Pompilidae, and flies in the families Syrphidae, Stratiomyidae, and Tachinidae.[7] Flies and wasps in these families are the most frequent and common pollinator.[7]
Conservation
Eriogonum argophyllum is listed as a critically endangered and fully protected species by the State of Nevada.[8][9] This species was a candidate for federal protection because its single population was considered threatened by geothermal development, livestock, and off-road vehicle use. These threats have been eliminated and the plant is no longer a candidate.[2] A fence is in place around the population to keep out livestock and vehicles.[3]
References
↑ "NatureServe Explorer". NatureServe Explorer Eriogonum argophyllum. NatureServe. 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
